


Divergence

by Zenith_Lux



Series: Through the Ashes [12]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Family Drama, Long Lost Friends, Murder Mystery, Post BT Reaver Lore, Some Fluff, demonic impulses, descriptions of death, lots of sadness, mostly angst, slight romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21668164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenith_Lux/pseuds/Zenith_Lux
Summary: “You’ve never celebrated your own anniversary? Christ Vergil, what have you been doing?”“It’s just another day, Dante.”“I will not let this injustice stand! Shy deserves better than that.”“... Why are you offended for her?”When Dante forces Vergil to join him on a road trip of a mission for Vergil’s anniversary, Dante doesn’t expect to find an old partner of his own. Unfortunately, Lucia does not seem to be the same woman she once was, and its up to Dante to learn why before its too late. Meanwhile, Vergil and Ashira are caught in the mysterious deaths of Reavers by a demon only known as the Shade, targetting those who escaped the Underworld. And as things take a turn for the worse, Vergil realizes that this new threat may jeopardize everything he’s built for himself and his family, even if they do defeat it without losing one of their own.
Relationships: Dante/Lucia (Devil May Cry), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Through the Ashes [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1477619
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. One Small Job

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! And welcome to the next long-ish fic after Solitude and Solidarity! I hope you enjoy this story! I'm still meddling with the chapter lengths, so I'm not completely sure how long this will be. More than Solitude, but I'm expecting between 5-6 chapters. I will update the total as soon as I finish editing the rest.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Kudos and Comments are always appreciated ^_^7

It was quiet in Devil May Cry.

Unusually quiet.

Suspiciously so.

Vergil glanced over his book at his brother. Dante had plopped down at his desk over an hour ago and had been counting money for about as long. He looked relaxed, leaning back so far in his chair that Vergil was surprised the legs didn’t snap out from under him. His feet were propped up on the desk just inches from Calcifer’s pillow, but the dragon had long given up fighting Dante over it and had simply gone to sleep. Ashira had been dragged to the shop today too, as Dante had asked them both to watch it in case a particularly unruly client returned. No one had shown up, and now her head was curled up on a pillow in Vergil’s lap. Surprisingly, Dante hadn’t teased him, or made some offhand comment about it, or… anything really.

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. “ _He’s up to something.”_

He heard Ashira chuckle in the back of his mind. _“You’re being paranoid.”_

Vergil twitched. He’d grown accustomed to their ever-growing mental connection. Just a few weeks ago, he’d made a genuine effort to strengthen it, as silent communication was quite useful around foes (and his nosey brother). But in moments like this, when he was already on edge for reasons he didn’t know, the reminder that she could tap into his thoughts didn’t (always) help. _“It’s been approximately six months since he has asked me to duel or attempted any of his so-called pranks.”_

_“We’ve been busy.”_

_“That hasn’t stopped him before.”_

_“I’m sure it’s…”_

“So!” Dante yelled in a voice much too loud for a man who thought Ashira was sleeping. Vergil felt her twitch, but her eyes stayed closed as she merely buried her face further into his stomach. A groan echoed in his head ( _Dammit Dante),_ but Vergil didn’t have time to savor the victory. For Dante kicked a foot against the desk, pushing himself back and knocking Calcifer to the floor in one rather jerky motion. 

“Hey!” The dragon yelled. “I was sleeping!”

Dante ignored him. “Do you know what’s happening this weekend, Verge?”

Vergil blinked. Ashira thought a quiet _oh,_ which was more infuriating than helpful. “If it involves you leaving for a few days, I’m all ears,” Vergil said as he turned the page of his book despite not having read any of it. 

Dante’s hand slammed down on his desk as he jumped to his feet. Calcifer yelped, tumbling off back off just seconds after he’d managed to crawl his way back up. Ashira snapped upright, narrowly avoiding slamming the back of her head into Vergil’s chin. He grabbed her arm before she toppled off the couch. Both glared at Dante as he burst into laughter. _Prick._ Ashira muttered in her Phoenix tongue. 

“Hey now,” Dante said. “I don’t know what you said, but I can hazard a guess.” He hopped over the desk, before swiftly leaning against it. Except the desk slipped backward at least a foot, and only his demon reflexes saved him from landing straight on his ass. But, to his credit, he recovered somewhat gracefully by doing an awkward spin so that he landed against the closest wall, arms crossed with a grin on his face as if that was what he meant to do all along. “Do you remember what happened exactly one year ago this Saturday?” When Vergil said nothing, Dante’s hand smacked against his own forehead. “Don’t tell me.”

Vergil scowled at him and returned to his book. “Happily.”

“You have celebrated other anniversaries though, right?”

Vergil’s fingers tightened on his book. _Oh._ He thought. Their actual, human wedding anniversary was Saturday. Surprising how that of all things had slipped his mind. Though Ashira hadn’t brought it up either. “Other anniversaries,” Vergil said. 

Dante’s jaw hit the floor. “You haven’t celebrated… anything?” He pushed off the wall and stalked toward Vergil with a look as if he wanted to strangle him. “What about the day you met? Or the day you officially started dating? Or, hell, the day you decide to start fooling around with each other?”

Vergil glared at him as Ashira’s own embarrassment radiated off of her soul in nigh overwhelming waves. “That is highly inappropriate.” She sputtered.

“You’ve at least celebrated her birthday, right?”

Silence followed. “We’ve…” 

Dante’s dejected groan cut him off. “You can’t be serious, Verge. What have you been doing with your life?”

“They’re just days, Dante.”

A second later, Dante’s hands clamped down on the collar of Vergil’s coat as he attempted to shake him. But Vergil’s tense muscles stopped him from moving too far. “Dante.” Ashira said reaching for them, but a quick glance from Vergil and a silent _“no”_ held her back. “Please don’t…”

“I won’t let this injustice stand!” Dante proclaimed. “Shy deserves better than that!”

“Why are you offended for her?” Vergil said as he grabbed Dante’s wrists. If this turned into a real fight, Vergil was already in a better position, whether Dante acknowledged it or not. “And why does it matter to you what we do on _our_ …”

“Oh come on!” Dante said. “You’re actually the worst.” He jutted his finger into Vergil’s face, and the latter growled. The air crackled with energy, both his own and Dante’s. Their demon forms would destroy the place in an instant. And, as much as Vergil disliked the shop, it _was_ Dante’s home, and wrecking it would probably bring Dante to his own doorstep.

“Yes,” Vergil said his voice as deadpanned as possible. “Because your strategy for wooing women has worked so well.”

Dante glared at him, but the energy around them dissipated. Vergil heard Ashira breathe a quiet sigh of relief “Some of us don’t have people born just for us, bro.” Dante said.

“Technically,” Ashira said. “We could have just been friends.”

Both brothers looked at her with varying levels of confusion. “How is that important to this conversation?” Dante said.

“Just correcting you.” She muttered. 

Dante sighed. “ _Too_ perfect for each other.” 

“If you have a point to make…”

“I’m taking you on a vacation,” Dante said as he let go of Vergil’s coat and walked away with a dismissive wave. “A job for me, time off for you, and some kudos points from the sister-in-law.” Vergil didn’t miss the way his brother’s eyes flickered towards Ashira in some kind of strange triumph as he said it. He also felt great amusement when she stared back at him in pure, exasperated annoyance.

“You want us to celebrate our anniversary on a vacation…” Ashira said. “With you.”

“Well, you sure as hell aren’t going to do it on your own with this hardass now are you?”

Vergil twitched, but it was Ashira who sighed. “We had plans.” 

“Liar,” Dante said. “You’re just trying to get him out of trouble.”

“I’m just…”

“And the fact that he hasn’t even celebrated your birthday. Honestly, how do you put up with…”

“Quiet.” Ashira hissed as a hint of blue flame sparked on her fingertips. Vergil swallowed a chuckle. Regardless of how amusing the entire situation was becoming, the last thing he wanted was to bring down the fury of the Phoenix on himself. For the moment, at least, they were allies in whatever game Dante was playing.

Dante raised his hands and took a step back. “Real talk.” He said glancing between them. “This job is supposed to be pretty simple. Go in, deal with some demons, talk with some clients, and leave. The worst part will be the trip itself, seeing as we can’t open a bunch of portals and hope for the best.” 

Vergil bit back a sigh. His brother wasn’t wrong. The barrier between the human and demon worlds had become weaker over the last few months. The last portal he had opened on a whim had actually broken it, and it had taken nearly an hour to cull what spilled out and close it again. He hadn’t opened one since. “But if something goes wrong,” Dante continued. “I wouldn’t mind having some back up there, capisce?”

“You’re not expecting anything to go wrong.”

“Of course not!” His expression turned to a grin. “But how long has it been since you’ve been to a beach?”

Vergil glanced at Ashira, but she didn’t look back. Instead, she looked… surprised. “I’ve never been to one.”

“Bet you a pizza that Vergil hasn’t either.”

No, he hadn’t, but he wasn’t going to give Dante the satisfaction. “What’s the job?” He said as he (regretfully) abandoned his book for the time being. 

“You’re not going to believe it.”

“Just get on with it.”

Dante’s hands traced an imaginary rainbow through the air. “Demon sharks.”

This time, Ashira did meet Vergil’s gaze, perplexed. “Demon… sharks.” Vergil said as he looked back at his brother.

“According to our client, anyway,” Dante said. “We’ll be going to a place called Turtle Cove. Lovely weather this time of year.” He plopped back down behind his desk and swopped a grumpy Calcifer up onto his shoulder. The dragon sagged against Dante, glaring at all parties present. “There are two other towns we’ll have to stop along the way for more information. It’ll take us about two to three days, assuming Nico averages 20 miles over the speed limit and doesn’t make a million stops.” He reached for the magazine on his desk, leaning back in his chair. Calcifer nearly tumbled again, but managed to haul himself back onto Dante’s shoulder with a huff. “I’ll meet with the clients, you deal with any demons. Keep an eye out for clues as well. When we get to the actual spot, you can check into our hotel, do whatever it is young-and-in-love people like you do, and we’ll go from there.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Ashira said. “You’re bringing _Nico_ along?” 

“Yep,” Dante said. “She needs the money. And considering we don’t have a clue what we’re dealing with, I‘d rather not waste the demon forms.” 

Vergil scowled. His logic was sound, but bringing a fourth person on this excursion ignored his entire reason for dragging them along in the first place. But, with a sigh of resignation, he said, “And what are the towns along the way?” 

“Nico knows the names. I forgot to write them down myself. There have been a few unusual demon sightings, but I’m more concerned about the people who have gone missing.” 

“Seems a bit more important than demon sharks,” Ashira said. 

“From what I can tell,” Dante said. “They’ve all moved into these places recently, but the informants were hesitant to give any more information over the phone.”

Vergil sighed, resisting the urge to rub at his temples. It was incredibly unlikely that Dante would be able to handle this mission on his own. He wasn’t incapable - especially when combat was involved - but he wasn’t the best at interpreting information. Virgil would likely be the one to figure out what they really needed to know. It helped that Ashira could catch people in a lie before they’d even said anything, something Vergil himself was still working on.

 _“Then we have to go,”_ Ashira said. While she didn’t look too happy about the prospects, he felt her concern. Demon sharks were one thing ( _What would that even look like?)_ missing people were a much bigger issue. And if anyone could track souls down, it was them.

Finally, Vergil pushed himself off the couch with a curt nod.“Tomorrow morning, then.”

“Yep,” Dante said. 

“Then our services here tonight are no longer required.”

Dante rolled his eyes but didn’t look up. “Get that stick out of your ass before tomorrow or it’s going to be a miserable drive.”

Vergil shot a blue sword into Dante’s shoulder and a second into one of the already fragile, legs of his desk chair. But even he was caught off guard when the chair actually _shattered_ , throwing Dante to the floor. Calcifer squeaked, digging his claws into Dante's shoulder to keep from falling. Dante erupted into a series of angry and almost nonsensical swears and failed to notice the golden feather slipping out of the floorboards and back into Ashira’s cloak. Vergil smirked as she turned to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes 

“It seems we have some impromptu packing to do, _dear.”_ She said. “See you tomorrow, _brother-in-law._ ”

“Might want to swing by early to blow off some steam,” Dante grunted. “Or this little trip will _definitely_ not go well.”

* * *

Vergil wasn’t sure what was more baffling; the fact that Nico was awake and _thrilled_ to be there, or that Dante was carrying a literal pile of board games into the back of her van.”You like chess, right Verge?” He said, tossing a wooden box on top of two backpacks. 

“Be careful with that!” Nico yelled. “Nero ain’t gonna forgive ya if it comes back broken.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dante said as he hopped back down and held his hand out toward Ashira. When his eyes caught their luggage, he grimaced, “A single suitcase between both of you?”

“That’s right.” She said, holding the handle out to him. “We like to travel light.” Graciously, she did not inform Dante of the fact that she was only wearing Vergil’s second coat because they had gotten into an argument over whether or not he would need it. For surely Dante would only have one, and somehow- in his tired and exasperated mind- taking two coats meant achieving victory over his brother in some capacity. Which then lead to them arguing over who the more mature brother actually was. Vergil won that by a landslide. 

In his defense, neither had been too thrilled about this trip in the first place. The guise of an anniversary vacation seemed more like an excuse for “Dante guilt-tripping Vergil into helping with a job.” But, as most of Vergil and Ashira’s fights went, they made up within a few hours and poured their excess energy into researching what Dante was dragging them in to. After all of that, both had acknowledged that they could find plenty to do together if Dante kept his end of the deal and they actually got some time alone.

Considering the mound of games, multiple suitcases, and a literal tower of records for Nico’s jukebox, Vergil wasn’t holding his breath.

“Nice to see you two up so soon!” Nico said as she unraveled a large piece of paper that had been folded about six times too many. “We’ve got the GPS, but I’m afraid the little towns ain’t showing up on it.” Nico spun around and smoothed the paper over the hood of the van. “This is Turtle Cove.” She said pointing at a four times circled-in-red-and-starred marker on the map. The name “Turtle Cove” was written twice, once in extensive cursive script, and the other sprawled out as if a five-year-old had found a red marker. “The first town we’re passing through is called Dunsborough where we’ll meet a woman named Margaret who says he has some information on the demon attacks nearby” 

“The second is Bridgehop, where a few folks have gone missing.” She yanked the paper away before Vergil had finished looking at it and rolled it up as she practically skipped to the driver’s door. “We’ll be staying at a motel there. We should make it to Turtle Cove by tomorrow night!” Vergil heard the door slam. A moment later, she appeared in the window of the passenger seat. “You’re with me for now, Shy,” Nico said with a grin. “Dante’s got a challenge for V-man.”

As Nico slipped back into the driver’s seat, Dante slapped Vergil’s shoulder. “I’ll go easy on ya.” He said with a wink before hopping into the back of the van. 

_“And here I thought this was for our anniversary.”_ Ashira’s voice echoed in amusement as she looked up at him. 

_“Did you expect much else?”_

_“No.”_ She replied with a subtle shrug. He didn’t miss the hint of disappointment. _“Maybe he’ll surprise us.”_

“Let’s go!” Nico yelled. “I’d like to get there sometime this year!”

“Vergil,” Ashira said as she tugged gently on his wrist. He glanced at her as she sat something cold and metallic in his palm. She tilted her head with a small smile. “Happy Anniversary.”

He glanced down, hiding it from the other two (who were too distracted arguing over drinks in the car to care). There sat a feather charm made of gold with a line of sapphire down the center. It was attached to a blue ribbon of sorts, though it looked sturdier than anything a human could make. “I enchanted it.” She said. “With Nico’s help, so it shouldn’t break on you.”

He met her gaze, trying to hide his surprise. That was often an exercise in futility, considering how freely he let her tug on his soul. “Then you’ve been working on this for quite some time.”

“It wasn’t meant to be an actual anniversary gift.” She said as her cheeks flushed a light red. “But I had it ready today, so…” She laughed as she rested her hand over the gift. His skin prickled with quiet desire when her fingers brushed his skin. “It’s for Yamato.” She said. “Assuming it doesn’t get in the way.”

It took Vergil a few seconds to fasten it to the bindings of the hilt. “Not at all.” He said, eyeing it as he resheathed the blade. Her eyes beamed with excitement, and Vergil couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Shira.”

She leaned in close enough that his own breath hitched as he felt a warm puff of air on his lips. “You’re welcome, _Saina.”_

The honk of the van made them both flinch. Vergil sighed. “It seems our company is in a hurry.” 

Ashira chuckled. “Another time then.” She squeezed his hand once before hopping into the passenger seat. Within seconds, Nico launched into an excited rant about the trip, distracting Vergil enough that he almost missed Dante sneaking up behind him. Vergil spun out of his brother’s grasp, swiping a sheathed Yamato across his chest. Dante caught himself before crashing into the van. “Relax,” Dante said. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“I can walk,” Vergil growled. 

Dante rolled his eyes as he hopped into the back. “Tic Tac Toe first!’ His brother proclaimed as Vergil followed after, resigned to his fate. “You remember that, right?”

“... of all the games in the world. _That’s_ your first choice?”

“It’s that or checkers.”

“Are you telling me that’s all you brought?”

“Hell no!” Dante said. “Nero let me borrow the Shift.” He waved around a rectangular piece of technology that Vergil didn’t recognize. “We even brought the TV.” He said, hand waving toward a large flat screen. How the ancient van was powering that thing was beyond him. “But you don’t stand a chance at beating me in that.” 

The competitive smirk on his brother’s face was enough to trigger Vergil’s ego. And, as childish as it all was, he found himself dragging the makeshift table between them as Dante triumphantly dumped the checkerboard and all of the pieces onto it. “You sorely underestimate me, brother,” Vergil said. 

Dante plopped down across from him with a grin. “Bring it on.”


	2. Poor Lost Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the group arrives in Dunsborough, Vergil and Ashira find that things are much worse off than they expected. Meanwhile, Dante hears rumors of an old friend that may be on the same job as him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the chapter where things get dark.
> 
> Yep!
> 
> Enjoy :D

Vergil wasn’t sure when he lost track of time. Maybe it was in the fifth round of checkers, as neither brother was satisfied when the other won and had to keep playing to “even the score”. That feud had been halted by a particularly large bump on the road, which had scattered the pieces to every corner of the van. Both of the twins had begrudgingly called it a draw and moved onto another one of Dante’s games. That too had ended when Nico narrowly avoided a deer crossing the road, throwing four packs of cards into Vergil and two open bottles of water into Dante’s lap. A little while later, in which Vergil and Ashira shared a quiet conversation while Dante swore up and down about trying to get dressed in a bathroom barely bigger than himself with Nico’s crazy driving, Dante turned on the television. 

Admittedly, that was probably the moment that time got away from him. The blasted television had facilitated an ungodly amount of cart races, virtual duels to the death, and some kind of board game party that even V had joined in on. 

And it was during the second of these “parties” that Vergil found himself nearly smacking into the back of Ashira’s chair as Nico slammed on the breaks for the third time that day. Dante, who was rarely as attentive in these situations, was not so lucky, smacking into the side door head first. Ashira was gone, and it took Vergil a moment to realize she had teleported straight out of the car, Calcifer in hand, and was staring back at it as if Nico had just performed a miracle. 

“We’re here!” Nico yelled as she kicked open her door and hopped out with a whoop of delight. “Dunsborough!”

_“Six and a half hours,”_ Ashira said wearily. _“And Nico talked for all of it.”_

Vergil wasn’t surprised in the slightest. “So the saying’s true.” Dante groaned as he fumbled for the handle. When it opened, he fell out limply, landing flat on his back with his arms outstretched as he basked in the sunlight. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Vergil stepped over him as V returned to Ashira’s mark. “I believe I win this round.” He said, glancing down at his brother. 

“We had two turns to go!”

“I was up by two scales, and you already failed in your attempt to steal them from me.”

“I still had a chance.”

“Hey!” Nico said, kicking Dante in the side. He grunted as his head fell to the side to squint at her. “Client’s waitin’.”

“Yeah yeah.” He rolled to his feet and brushed the dirt off of his jacket. “Let’s go Cal.”

The dragon pouted. “Do I have to?”

“Afraid so, little-dude,” Dante said. “Still can’t see souls and I like to know what these people are thinking, capisce.”

Calcifer growled, muttering something along the lines of _“stop using such a stupid word, red-guy”_ but headbutt Ashira’s cheek and hopped off her shoulder. The second he landed in Dante’s hand, the latter waved Vergil off. “This shouldn’t take more than an hour.” He didn’t wait for a response, nor did Vergil give him one. Instead, he listened to the small prickle of concern from Ashira as she stared into the trees beyond the town itself. 

“What’s wrong?” He said, voice low. 

“I’m not sure.” She said with a frown. “Something feels… off.” She slid off her glasses, blinking a few times as her sight readjusted. Ashira had grown accustomed to Nico’s gift over the last year and only took them off in heated demon fights (as she had already broken a pair that way) or when she needed to focus on souls instead of the physical world. “Griffon.” She whispered.

The bird appeared on her shoulder in an instant. “I don’t like it, princess.” He said. 

“Then you feel it too.” She looked up at Vergil “There aren’t any souls there… but it feels like there should be.” She pressed her hand to her chest as a flicker of confusion slipped between them. “My Phoenix half can feel… something. But I’m not sure what.”

“Well, there’s only one thing we can do about it!” Griffon said as he hopped off of her shoulder and darted into the trees. “Bet ya I’ll beat ya there, Boss!” He cackled with laughter that echoed far further than Vergil thought it should have. 

Ashira sighed. “All these years and I still don’t know who’s worse: him or your brother.”

“Hopefully my brother,” Vergil said. “As we can get away from him.”

She chuckled at that. “At least you don’t have to listen to…”

A terrified bird screech echoed from the forest, cutting her off. “Griffon!” Ashira shot forward in a blaze of golden fire, her panic nearly knocking Vergil right off his feet. He blinked after her with little effort, and the two dodged the trees, with Vergil slicing through whatever they couldn’t be bothered to go around. Ashira burst into the clearing, feathers drawn…

And froze.

“It ain’t pretty.” Griffon murmured as he moved to Ashira’s arm. It was the first time Vergil had heard the bird this somber. But the moment he raised his gaze from Ashira’s horrified expression, he saw them. Four human-esque bodies- two men and two women- hanging from the trees by something akin to fishing line. It was a family of some sort, younger than Vergil but likely the same age or older than Nero. All had dark brown hair and lifeless green eyes. Their faces were frozen in terror, and their simple clothing had been torn to shreds, revealing the pale blue skin beneath. 

“Demons,” Vergil said.

“Reavers,” Ashira whispered as she took a step closer. “They’re not strong enough to be full demon princes, and regular demons rarely adopt human forms like this.” 

“You’re not certain, though.”

She shook her head. “Not 100% but…” Vergil felt something between them. Not fear, as Ashira rarely feared anything when he was there. But an agonizing sadness that tore at his own chest, far more painful than any physical wound. Her arm shook as she reached towards the closest woman and pulled aside the tattered remains of her shirt. Vergil bit back his shock. For there was a cavity in the woman’s chest, and empty air took the space where her heart should have been. He glanced between the others as a grim realization settled over him. 

“Someone stole their hearts.”

“And their souls,” Ashira said as she took a few steps back. “The bodies haven’t been here long. If a reaver had dispelled the souls, I would still see traces of it, especially having died like…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed. “Could this be related to Dante’s job?” 

“We need more information.”

“I doubt anyone knows they’re here.”

“Might be best to keep it that way.”

Concern prickled between them. “We can’t just leave them here.”

“Listen, Shira,” Vergil said. She bit her tongue and looked away. “It’s safe to assume that no one knows about this.” 

“So we either find someone who is looking, or a reason why they haven’t been noticed.”

“Exactly.”

“And if we don’t.”

“This road only goes two ways.”

“Nero…” She said quietly. 

“I doubt they went to Redgrave,” Vergil said. If it was human, Nero had nothing to fear. If the killer was demonic, the chances of it being strong enough to threaten Sparda’s kin were low. But it was better to be safe than sorry. “I’ll call him.”

“Lady and Trish were staying with them for the weekend, yes?” She asked. Vergil nodded, and Ashira sighed as she turned away. “Warn them as well. Worst case, you can go back.”

Vergil raised an eyebrow. “And leave you here?”

Ashira stopped, but she didn’t look back. “They’re reavers, Vergil.” She said. “I can’t…” Her voice broke, but she cleared her throat and started again. “I can’t leave them like this.”

“Go,” V said to Ashira as he and Shadow materialized beside Vergil. Griffon hopped to V’s arm without a word. “We’ll take care of this.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am not as weak as I once was,” V said. “And this is not my first foray with death.”

Vergil knew that, but hearing it from V was no comfort. “Return to us at any sign of trouble.”

“Of course,” V said. “But I would…”

A rustle in the trees drew all of their attention. Vergil’s secondhand reaver vision snapped into focus, and a soul flickered in view. More than a dozen feathers snapped to Ashira’s side. “I know you’re there.” She said, her eyes slipping into their demonic forms. Vergil reached for Yamato, but waited. It wouldn’t be hard to handle an aggressive demon, but he didn’t want to scare away a potential ally. 

After a long, tense moment where only the wind whistled between them, a deep, shaky voice echoed from deeper in the forest. “My masters are gone.” It said. “I can’t… I can’t follow him.”

Ashira’s eyes returned to normal as she pulled her feathers back. “One of these?” She said. 

“No.” The voice said. “They…” A painful wheezing sound cut him off, followed by a broken, “...away.”

“Where?”

“Find them.” The voice said. “Please.” Vergil heard a light thud, possibly a limb flopping on the ground. It was difficult to tell without knowing what it belonged to. “He took… cove...”

A pained sigh echoed out, and the voice went silent. Ashira’s eyes closed for a moment. When they opened again, a series of feathers sliced the bushes in front of her. Griffon swept through, blowing the leaves away before returning to V’s arm. Vergil heard Ashira’s quiet gasp no matter how much she tried to hide it.

“Demon shark.” She murmured. 

“Yes,” Vergil said, his voice quiet as he gazed at the dead demon in the grass. If he wouldn’t have had the idea of “demon shark” in his head already, he wasn’t certain that was what he would call it. To a human, it certainly looked like one, forged out of a silvery, blue metal with glowing, white lines along each side. There were four small limbs, one much larger than the others that dangled from its body, cut clean through. Vergil could imagine that all four limbs could have been equally as large, and the “shark” could have moved on land with ease. Its teeth were shark-like, but curled toward the back of his head. It’s tail curled upward, stiff as a board, and its fin had been cut in half. “They left his heart.”

Ashira knelt by the creature and pressed her hand along the cleanest part of its side. “On purpose?” She said. “Or was it not the type they were looking for?”

Vergil said nothing, as voicing his fragmented thoughts on the matter wouldn’t get them anywhere. As the question fell between then, golden flames pulsed off of Ashira’s hand. It snaked over the shark’s skin, and Vergil could see tendrils slipping deep into the soul itself. 

Then, the soul turned red.

Ashira shrieked as that same red magic crawled back up her arm like blood headed straight for her heart. “Shira!” Vergil grabbed her arm, igniting his own fire to block the other creatures magic. It only slowed its progress. More red veins curled around Ashira’s eyes. She was staring at the creature, but Vergil was certain she was caught in its memory. “Shira!” He said again as he tried pulling her hand away, but nothing moved. The soul in her palm grew brighter, eating away her own golden flames. More tendrils snaked up around her shoulder, glowing even under his coat. 

Vergil slashed Yamato out, drawing enough blue fire to slice straight through the soul. It burst instantly, and Ashira’s own fire rushed to cleanse the other demon’s magic. Her eyes snapped back to normal and she tumbled backwards. Vergil blinked behind her, sheathing Yamato before catching her. Her heart thundered in his ears, accompanied by her lungs wheezing for any air it could find. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Vergil pulled her closer, turning her away from the bodies and into himself. “Breathe.” He said. When she finally did so, he pushed down the remainders of his panic and focused on the task at hand. “What did you see?”

She shut her eyes, but no tears came. His thumb brushed idly on her cheek, patient. This was how their partnership worked. She handled the emotions and allowed herself to be vulnerable when they needed her to be. He was the logical one who made sure to pull her back if she ever fell too far. Though Vergil much preferred to be forewarned of such things.

“Sorry.” She whispered. “I didn’t mean to resonate.”

“It did something to you.”

“A reaver trap.” She said with a small shake of her head. “It’s been so long since I’ve dealt with other reavers it didn’t cross my mind.”

“Like what Gaius did”

“Similar, but this one wasn’t meant to kill me.”

Vergil wasn’t sure about that, but he kept that thought to himself. “What did you see?” He repeated.

She took another breath before meeting his gaze. “Unfortunately, the memories he gave me were too fractured to make any sense of.” She pulled back a bit, resting her hands on Vergil’s arms. He brought them both to their feet with ease, but watched Ashira closely as her eyes looked back to the bodies. “They were killed by something. Two people escaped. I couldn’t see their faces, but its safe to assume its the two masters he mentioned.” 

The second time she went quiet, it took his fingers pressing into her shoulders and a quiet, “Go on” to get her to speak again.

“I heard a name. Not one I recognized, but one they all knew.” Her hands squeezed his fingers, likely without thinking. “Azalea.”

Vergil frowned. It wasn’t a name he recognized either. If it was a reaver, then he wasn’t surprised. But if it was some kind of demon… one strong enough to cross between worlds…

“Go.” V said. “There is work to be done.”

* * *

The moment Dante met Margaret, he knew they wouldn’t get along. There wasn’t really a single reason why. It was more of an avalanche of bad taste in clothing, her gaudy home, and that permanent aura of superiority that desperately clung to her like Scrooge to his money. Then there was the way she looked at Nico as if her very presence was an insult to mankind. Dante thought that might be jealousy, as Nico was nearly five inches taller than Margaret, even without her work boots, and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought about her. Snooty, old ladies or otherwise. 

“So, Mr. Morrison sent _you_ , did he?” Margaret spoke. Her obviously fake drawl nearly made Dante fall asleep. “I was expecting more… _refined_ company.”

“We do have more refined company,” Dante said with a shrug. “But they aren’t exactly people people, if you get what I’m saying.” That was only a half truth. Ashira had no issues talking to strangers, and Vergil usually left that part of the job to her. His mere existence was intimidating enough to keep clients in check without speaking a word. 

But Ashira also had no qualms about calling people out on their bullshit, as they weren’t exactly desperate for jobs. So keeping them both far, _far,_ away from Margaret was probably best for everyone.

“Besides,” Dante said with his usual charming grin. “You wanted the best in the business, and here I am.”

Nico snorted. “I bet your brother’s feeling a chill right about now. Hell, I think devil-boy’s even got you beat on that one.”

Dante rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. “You young folk have no respect these days.”

He had hoped for a laugh. What he got was a glare that could shatter mountains. “Clearly,” Margaret said as she attempted to cross her arms. Except that her awful, pee-colored robe (Dante refused to think of it as Golden silk, regardless of what Margaret claimed) was about four times her size, which lead to her awkwardly grabbing onto the sleeves to keep it from sliding right off her arms. She raised her chin, and he was half surprised a crown didn’t simply materialize on her gray and wrinkled brow.

“You get what you get with us.” Dante said. “And I can promise you whatever information you’ve got will make it to the right people.”

Margaret visibly relaxed after that, so much so that her sleeves sagged partially off her shoulders. “We never used to have demons around here.” She said. “A few that wandered through the forests, but nothing our hunters couldn’t take care of. But after that damned tree rose…” She sighed. 

“Did the vines travel all the way out here?”

“Near enough.” Margaret said. “The demons were drawn to it. The stronger ones were more brazen, charging into our town. A few of our people went missing. We never found out if they were kidnapped, lost, or drawn away by some kind of magic.”

“And after the tree fell?”

“Our town rebuilt.” She said. “We were secluded enough that the hunters were able to deal with the few creatures that fled out here. After nearly a year, the attacks stopped completely. We all thought we were safe.”

“Didn’t work out that way, did it?” Dante said quietly.

Margaret shook her head. “About a month ago, a new family came into town seeking shelter. I felt as if there was something off about them, but they were friendly enough and took care of themselves, so I didn’t think much of it. The demon attacks started about a week after they arrived. To everyone’s surprise, the family dealt with them easily. Much better than our hunters had. The citizens quickly took a liking to them.”

“But I was still suspicious. The demons only started showing up after they came to town? And why were they so well prepared to dispatch them? A short while later my husband passed away…” Her voice broke there, but she took a deep breath, shook her head, and picked her chin back up. “The youngest one, a teenager named Alice, came to me the morning after he died asking to see the body. She told me that his soul was trapped in the house and she wanted to free it.”

“Did you let her?”

“Yes.” Margaret said. “Not because I believed her, but because I was curious as to what she wanted to do.” Her eyes closed, and Dante saw a softness in her features that hadn’t been there before. “I don’t know what she did, but I heard him that day - my husband. He told me he loved me and that we’d talk again soon.” She shook her head very slowly. “I wanted to know how she did it, but when I went to speak with her a few days ago… the family was gone”

Dante raised an eyebrow. “Gone?”

“All six of them.” She said. “We tried looking for them with no luck.”

“There’s something else though, yeah?” Nico said with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Morrison said you mentioned something about the forest.”

“That’s right. There is something wrong on the eastern side of our town.” Margaret said. “Since the family went missing, anyone who walks in there comes back out within minutes, and none of them remember turning around. We avoid it as much as we can., There is no issue with the rest of the forest, but anyone who reaches that specific area comes right back out in the same place they went in with no memory of it.”

“Could be some kind of demonic energy.” Nico said. 

“We can take a look.” Dante said.

The door behind them opened. “That won’t be necessary.” Vergil said as Ashira leaned against the entrance. “The issue has been dealt with.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow, but Dante swore he saw a _smile_. And here he thought she was physically incapable of such a feat. Ironic that it was Vergil of all people who inspired such a reaction. “Is that so?” She said. “Then you have my thanks.”

“Come, Dante. Nico.” Vergil said. “We have important matters to discuss.” He swept his coat to the side ( _dramatic much, Verge?)_ and exited Margaret’s cozy cabin. The massive door slammed shut, and Dante could feel the vibration it caused in his bones. 

“Well that’s that.” Nico said.

“One more thing.” Margaret shouted after them. “A woman came by yesterday. She claimed to be a demon hunter like yourself and was looking for information on something called Azalea. She mentioned that she was heading to Turtle Cove.”

“Another demon hunter, huh?” Dante said. “Did she give you a name?”

“Lucia, I think.” Margaret said. 

Dante nearly choked on air. “Lucia?” He repeated. 

Margaret’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what I said.” She shooed him off. “Now leave.”

Nico rolled her eyes, but left without a word. “Thanks for your help.” Dante said, but he knew his voice sounded hollow as his mind had already wandered. If Nico wasn’t tugging on his arm he was certain his legs would have stopped moving. And when they did reach the van, he didn’t miss that expression on Vergil’s face - the one he gave when he knew Dante was hiding something. But the red-twin said nothing as he took the passenger seat with no complaint from Ashira. 

_Lucia._ He thought as Nico made her way back onto the road. _How long has it been?_

_Too long._ He could hear her saying. But even the remnants of her voice made him flinch. All he imagined Lucia felt for him now was tired resentment. What were the chances of her wanting to talk to him after all these years...

Dante swallowed his guilt. If they were both working the same job, maybe it wouldn’t matter. 

“You okay?” 

He blinked once before his eyes met Nico’s. “‘Course.” He said with a grin and a solid thumbs up. “It’ll be a few hours to Bridgeshop, yeah?” He saw Vergil’s piercing gaze in the rearview mirror for the briefest of moments before he turned his attention to Ashira. “Sounds like we have a lot to discuss.”

Nico looked doubtful, but only nodded as he helped light her cigarette. “Seems like it.”


	3. Conflicting Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the group continues on, Vergil realizes that something is very wrong... he just doesn't know what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love listening to my Beta reader reactions. Somehow, I have managed not to spoil anything.
> 
> That has not been easy >.>; 
> 
> Enjoy! Next chapter will be out soon :)

The closer they got to Brigehop, the more Vergil knew that something was wrong with him. But he couldn’t pinpoint what, and it was already close to driving him mad.

“So they didn’t simply vanish, huh,” Dante said with a quiet sigh. 

“Unfortunately not,” Vergil said trying to hide the way his fingers were latched far too tightly on the sleeves of his coat. He was not usually a man bothered by temperature. In fact, Ashira always said he was always cool to the touch regardless of how he felt. But right now, even with Nico blasting the air conditioner in the front seat, he felt as if he was burning alive. Yet, there was no sweat nor any outward sign of his discomfort. A small blessing, he supposed, but not enough to make him feel any better. 

“But why their hearts?” Nico said. Her driving had slowed over the last hour, as the sun had gone down and even she wasn’t crazy enough to risk barrelling through the wilderness in the middle of the night. Dante was pretending to be sleepy beside her, but his heart rate had been elevated since they left and showed no signs of slowing down.

Vergil shouldn’t have known that. Not without focusing on it directly. But everyone’s heartbeat, breathing, and every little sound they made was grating. He couldn’t tune it out. Hell, he could barely think through it. When was the last time his senses had gotten this out of control? 

He felt Ashira’s hand rest on his thigh and recognized the concern between them. _“Breathe,”_ She said, but he could practically feel her heart plummet when he flinched at the sound. Even her voice, usually quiet (and soothing, though no one but her would ever hear him admit it) was too loud. She might as well have been yelling.

“Some kind of demon ritual?” Dante said with a yawn.

“I can’t recall,” Vergil said. He didn’t miss the way Dante’s eyebrow rose at his tone. Vergil hoped that his brother would think he was merely frustrated by his lack of knowledge on the matter. And that wouldn’t be too far from the truth if he wasn’t so on edge. If anyone knew demon magic and rituals, it should be him. And there was some part of him that thought he _might_ know something, but he was too caught up in whatever misery was going on in his head. 

Thankfully, Ashira was well aware of his distress and responded for him. “Whoever killed them has to be a reaver, or be working with one. 

“Because the souls are missing.”

She nodded. “Taking the heart, by itself, doesn’t remove the soul. It’s not a tangible object, nor is it attached to anything in particular. It takes someone very familiar with the inner workings of a soul to remove one cleanly.” Vergil glanced at her, partially out of concern, and partially for a distraction. While she was sitting as proud as ever, wrapped up in his coat like it was the last thing holding her together, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Death always hit her hard, even when it was expected. He often wondered if all reavers were like her, or if her human empathy had something to do with it. 

“Maybe it was a coincidence,” Nico said. “One demon killed them, a reaver took their souls?”

“Maybe,” Ashira said. “But we didn’t find anything in the area, and Griffon scouted pretty far.”

That was a bit of an understatement. Knowing they hadn’t had much time, Ashira had given him one of her feathers. And the energy the bird had gotten from it was enough for him to circle miles outside of the town, searching through a massive chunk of the forest before he returned and collapsed at Ashira’s feet. 

“The townspeople hadn’t seen any recently either,” Ashira said. “If we had any information on why…” Her head tilted for a moment, then her eyes widened as her gaze snapped to Vergil. “Pythagoras.”

Dante burst into laughter. “You think that old prune will talk to either of you again? Even if he did, where the hell are you going to find a door?” The one in Fortuna had been destroyed along with most of the city. Vergil hadn’t bothered tracking down another one. Not because it wasn’t useful, but mostly because Dante was 100% right. The chance of Pythagoras wanting to speak to either of them was minuscule at best.

“It’s worth a shot.” She muttered. 

“Good luck with that.”

A low growl echoed in the back of Vergil’s head, but his demon was otherwise silent. It had been a long time since Vergil had thought of his other half as... well... his other half. The two were parts of a whole and had been for years. If anything, it was his human half that felt more alien before meeting Ashira and reconnecting with his family. But at that exact moment, he realized it was upset and searching for something. Except Vergil didn’t know what, and his demon wasn’t talking. 

Ashira squeezed his thigh ever so slightly. _“It’s okay. We’ll figure it…”_

Nico slammed on the breaks. Vergil snapped outside, Ashira in hand, before realizing that he had picked her up at all. _“Vergil.”_ This time, her voice was barely more than a whisper. _“Your eyes.”_

“Do you have to do that _every_ time?” Dante groaned as he slammed the passenger side door. 

“Brakes don’t always work if I don’t,” Nico said with a grin. When her eyes met Vergil’s however, it vanished. “Uhh… V-man?”

“What?” He snapped but stopped himself before anything else came out. His stomach was churning with… something. Not anxiety. Not fear just… something. But when Vergil tried to shove it back down, it only got worse. 

“You’ve got a bad case of demon eyes.”

Vergil looked away, not missing the fact that even Dante was staring at him. “Motel?” Was all he could force out. Everything was wrong. His skin felt warm and clammy. His heartbeat was erratic. It took everything within him to actually _breath,_ something his demon half only did out of luxury. 

“Up the road,” Nico said. “You can stay in the van if ya want. She’s pretty warm, considering.” She jabbed her elbow into Dante’s stomach. “You can come to get them later, yeah?”

Vergil heard his brother hesitate, but kept his eyes firmly, and stubbornly, locked with Ashira’s. Though the sheer amount of worry that stared back at him was almost as difficult to handle. “Yeah, sure.” 

“Get some beauty sleep,” Nico said. “We might see that Lucy person tomorrow.”

Vergil felt his brother’s skin heat up. _How?_ He thought. _Why?_

“Not with my luck,” Dante said. The crunch of his boots on the ground made Vergil want to rip his ears off. But that would require dropping Ashira, and- despite everything that was going wrong - nothing within him was asking for that. “Lucy though? She’d probably kill me if she heard you say that…”

“Saina,” Ashira said as she reached toward his neck. Her fingers alone shot electricity through him. She froze, waiting, but he didn’t want her to. That feeling was a somewhat pleasant distraction, given the circumstances. “It’s okay.” She whispered as she slid one hand along his skin, eliciting the smallest of shivers. His knees nearly buckled when she pressed the pads of her fingers against the nape of his neck. The sensitivity of his skin was both unprecedented and borderline unbearable. 

“Something’s…”

“Shhh,” Ashira said. “It’s okay.” She pushed the front of his coat aside and pressed her hand against his chest. Her golden flames slipped right through the clothing, dulling his senses. She’d done this before, usually after nightmares. But neither of them had seen him like this. And while it was working to some degree, it wasn’t enough. 

“Let’s rest.” She said. “Can you manage that?”

He tried to say no, but his mouth went dry. Rest seemed like a lifetime away, but the more flames that coursed along his skin, the more he thought maybe he could. For how long, he didn’t know. So he forced himself back into the van and let her slip out of his grasp long enough to pull out one of the beds, find a couple of pillows, and grab a blanket. But he didn’t move again until she pulled gently on his wrist. “Do you want me to keep guard?” She said. 

Another growl, followed by a sudden desire to pull her as close as possible and…

He shook his head. _It can’t be that simple._ “Are my eyes still…”

“Yes.” She said as she slid his coat off his shoulders. They both let it drop to the floor before she began pressing on his wrist. “Is he speaking to you?”

“No.”

“Your soul says otherwise.”

Vergil frowned. “How?”

“Your soul shifts colors when in your demon form.” She said. “It’s very subtle, but I’ve been admiring it for quite a while.” Vergil might have smiled at that if the muscles in his body weren’t permanently stretched to their limit. She didn’t seem to mind as her thumb pressed toward his palm and eventually pushed its way up under his fingers. “It’s mixed at the moment like it usually is in combat.”

“That doesn’t…” 

His heart slammed against his chest. Vergil winced as he started to reach for it, but Ashira’s hand held him back. Instead, she pulled it to her own chest. “Can you feel it?” She said. 

At first, Vergil didn’t know what she was talking about. Then everything - the overwhelming noises, the smell of the trees and the town and every animal in a twenty-mile radius, and his demon seemingly trying to claw its way out - honed in on her. Her pulse reverberating in his fingers. The sweet smell of her shampoo that she’d used hours ago. The lingering fabric softener in her clothes from last night's wash. His own scent clinging to her skin.

How did that not drive anyone else mad?

 _“Mine.”_ His demon hissed. _“No one else’s.”_

“Shira.”

“I hear him.” 

“Somethings wrong,” Vergil muttered. “But I...” _I don’t know what._ He didn’t want to admit it aloud, but it made no difference. 

“And we’ll get through it.” She said. “Like we do everything else.” 

That earned her a pained smile. “You are awfully calm.”

“Trying my best.” She said as she pushed him gently onto the bed and let her own coat slide off. The second time she pressed her thumb against his palm, his fingers finally unclenched. This time, it was he who reached for her, resting them on her hips as he pulled her closer. She fell seamlessly into his lap and kissed his cheek. “I think he wants a fight.” She whispered.

“Maybe.” Vergil murmured. She said nothing after that. Just brushed through his hair and waited. 

After a few excruciating minutes, in which his own heartbeat finally retreated from his ears, she spoke again. “Talk to me. Anything you can think of.”

Vergil closed his eyes, forcing his way through the haze and back to those long hours in the library when demon rituals and power was all he cared about. Surely one of those books had something that related to this. He pictured himself wandering the various libraries; the forbidden section of Fortuna, where the books were organized by the first letter on the first page to make it impossible for outsiders to find anything useful. Pythagoras’ library, where he’d considered getting lost more than once, confident that he could get out, but had never tried it. He cycled through as many books as he could, grateful that his memories had held through his imprisonment. 

_A ritual…_

When he opened his eyes again, he felt the tension in his body slip away. “Better?” She said. 

“For now.” He didn’t want to admit that he could still feel his demon half simmering beneath his skin. He had it back under control and, for the moment, that was all that mattered. “I’m certain there is some kind of ritual, though I cannot recall what,” he said. “But considering the power human blood gives demons, it’s possible ingesting the heart could have a similar effect.”

“But why not drain the bodies?”

“Might not have had time.”

She didn’t look convinced. “It’s possible they were worried they’d get caught.”

“The real question,” Vergil said. “Why take both? Reavers don’t sustain themselves off of blood as regular demons do, and a regular demon has no use for a soul”

Ashira sighed. “We don’t have enough information.”

Vergil paused again, continuing through his admittedly long list of books. The first few he could think of were useless. Human attempts at demonic rituals that didn’t exist, most of which involved pointless sacrifices. But there was one book… a single tome in Pythagoras’ library that had been so convoluted that even he had given up on it. 

“We have to find him,” Vergil said. “Somehow.”

“There is a library.” She said. “Isn’t that how you found him before?”

“In Fortuna,” Vergil said. “I doubt a resort town would hold the same importance.” 

“Every library is bound to have something different, right?” She said. “Surely he’s visited all of them at least once over the last 3000 years. And I don’t believe he can cut between words as seamlessly as you do.”

“As far as I know.”

“It’s worth a shot.” She said. “Dante’s informant may have some information too.”

Vergil’s hands ran up her back absentmindedly. “Is this what you felt like?” He said. 

Her head tilted. “Before accepting the Phoenix?” He nodded. “It’s hard to say. I can hear your thoughts and latent distress... but not everything you’re feeling. But our demons are very different creatures, so its difficult to say.” Her thumb brushed absently along his jawline. “But you’re not rejecting each other, and this only started the further we’ve traveled, yes?” When he nodded, she hummed in quiet thought. “Maybe there’s a demon we missed?”

“Impossible.” The only demon that had caused this kind of reaction was Mundus. But even that had been different. He hadn’t felt anything like this the first time they met, and the second was clearly more driven by a fear of failure than… whatever this was. “No demon could cause this.”

Her expression turned solemn. “Haven’t seen any reavers since I killed Gaius either.”

Vergil had no response to that. 

Then, his demon growled again. This time, however, his senses snapped into perfect, eerily calm awareness. Everything before had been chaotic. Now, it only focused on a single sound. Footsteps on a gravel road. “Demon,” Vergil said, his voice caught somewhere between his different forms. _Kill it._ His other half roared. _He cannot have what is ours._ “Shira.” 

“Reavers.” She said. “Two of them, with a third demonic soul.”

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before both they and Ashira’s cloak vanished from the van. 

* * *

It took everything Ashira had to keep herself in human form. It shouldn’t have been that difficult, as she hadn’t had issues controlling her demonic form since the twins were born. But Vergil’s power was nigh overwhelming her in a way that it never had before. It was difficult enough keeping that information from him, as he clearly had enough to worry about, but Ashira wasn’t sure what to do if he did lose control. That had never been a possibility. Even as a child, his powers had been well under control, and she’d seen plenty of his memories to know that he had only lost that when someone else forced it from him. 

She hoped this excursion would help somewhat, though she wasn’t certain what would happen if they didn’t find anything. Calling Dante to help “blow off some steam” was a legitimate option. Though even he had looked concerned when Vergil’s eyes changed, and Ashira wasn’t sure if they had any real answers to give him. Especially since Vergil’s eyes had only changed back for a few minutes, and with an excessive amount of healing flames to soothe him. 

A small part of her wondered (and worried) if all of this was related, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Not with three unknown souls currently running from them. They were fast and had about a four-mile head start. But Vergil, fueled by whatever was going wrong with his demon, was on a mission: nothing in either world would come close to outrunning him like this. Ashira was certain he wasn’t even moving at full speed, as only her Phoenix form had a hope of keeping up, and neither were too keen on showing that around souls they didn’t know. 

Not with a reaver killer on the loose. 

The three souls were close now. Two were clearly reavers; one pink and white, the other green and white. A clear sign of twins or very close siblings. The third was bright orange-red demon soul, not dissimilar to Dante or Vergil, but comparatively weaker. There were a few, gray lines cutting across it, but that wasn’t abnormal. Real-world trauma was often difficult to heal without reaver involvement, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as Vergil’s has been when she found him again. It also wasn’t as damaged as Gaius’ or corrupted like her brother’s. 

_Why is everything so wrong?_

A white feather caught her eye. Ashira jerked backward, throwing one of her own. Vergil appeared in front of her, slicing Yamato through the barrage that followed. The orange soul was close now, darting around them. The other two were still running. If Ashira didn’t have her reaver vision, they’d be long gone. 

“Go,” Vergil said. “I’ll deal with this.”

Ashira nodded and took off in the other direction. A shower of feathers shot after her, but Vergil was faster, knocking them all down long before she had to worry about them. She felt another demon behind her but didn’t bother looking back. “Wait!” She yelled as she threw herself between the trees. One soul, the pink one, hesitated. The green one didn’t, only looping back on itself, likely grabbing the other’s hand. Frustrated, Ashira tossed her hand forward. “Griffon.” She said. The bird appeared and shot forward without a word. Shadow appeared beside her, but Ashira could feel her apprehension. “I know.” She said. “But we have to try.”

Shadow growled but kept running. “Get back here!” She heard Griffon yell from a distance. A girl’s cry rang out, but Ashira was certain she was unhurt. 

“Leave her alone!” A boy yelled. 

“Lir wait…”

Frustrated, Ashira finally gave in, snapping into her half-demon form in a heartbeat. Shadow retreated back into her as she arched above the trees before diving straight at Griffon. She slammed down in front of him, shifting back as she swung her feathers out. They stuck into the ground at the man’s feet, and he stumbled backward, barely managing to keep his footing. 

“Leave us alone.” The boy snarled as he reached for the sword on his back. Ashira said nothing, only glanced between him and the younger girl cowering behind a tree a few feet away. Both looked younger than her with blonde hair and eyes that matched their souls. The boy was somewhere under twenty if she had to guess. The girl in her mid-teens. Their brown cloaks were tattered and covered in dirt. The clothes underneath didn’t fare much better. But it was the light blue ting of the small amount of skin she could see that drew Ashira’s attention. 

“Your partner sent me.” She said. “Told me to find you on the way to Turtle Cove.”

The boy faltered, but his eyes narrowed. “How should I…”

“Alice?” Ashira said, looking to the girl. The girl’s eyes widened, but she said nothing. Ashira didn’t blame her, given the tension. “I’m here to help.”

“Bullshit,” The boy said. “I’m not afraid of you.”

 _You probably should be._ She thought. Ashira would never hurt them, but she couldn’t say the same for Vergil if they attacked her. 

“You’re a reaver.” The girl said quietly as she slowly moved out from behind the tree. 

“Yes.” 

“Did you escape too?”

“I’ve been out of the Underworld for a while,” Ashira said. “I helped kill Mundus four years ago.”

Both of the sibling’s eyes widened as they glanced between each other. “Impossible.” The boy said though Ashira could hear the hesitation, despite his attempts to hide it. “The demon king killed him.”

 _Demon king?_ How much did they know? Or, more importantly, how much should she share? Ashira wanted to trust them. They were such young reavers, fleeing from someone who had murdered their family and desecrated their bodies. But Ashira didn’t know them or their family. For all she knew, her instinct was wrong and they weren’t related in the slightest. Her own appearance had been hidden by Celeste when she lived with them, and she didn’t doubt that other powerful reavers could do the same. But debating on it would take too long, and she could already see Alice retreating back into herself. So, Ashira simply asked, “Where is the demon that was with you?”

“She went to intercept you.”

A demonic roar echoed from behind her. _Not Vergil._ Ashira spun around and barely caught herself before chasing after him. “Come with me.” She said to the reavers. “I can protect you.”

“That woman was protecting us.” the girl said.

“Quiet, Alice.” 

“She’s a reaver!” The girl said. “And her soul is strong, Lir. She can help us.”

“I said…”

“Vergil!” A male voice erupted in the distance.

Ashira’s heart froze. _Dante?_

“Get out of the way.” Vergil’s own demon echoed back.

“Like hell.”

Ashira held back a swear. “Come with me.” She repeated. 

“We have to help her,” Alice said. “She’s been protecting us since…” Her voice trailed off as she wiped a tear away. “Please.”

“Well, then you’re just gonna have to come with us, pipsqueak!” Griffon said as he landed on Ashira’s arm. “Cuz neither of us are leaving without ya.”

Alice glanced at her brother, but Lir was still glaring at Ashira. “If you endanger my sister’s life,” He said. “I will not hesitate to kill you.”

 _For Hell’s sake._ She thought. _One Vergil’s more than enough._

It was Griffon who scoffed, though Ashira wasn’t sure who exactly it was directed towards. “Good luck with that.”


	4. Broken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vergil’s past continues to prod at him in unexpected ways, and Dante struggles with a variety of unwanted feelings. Meanwhile, Ashira grows closer to Alice, but further from the one she wants to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadness incoming :(

Dante sensed his brother’s power from miles away. And, while he didn’t know how or why, he knew he had to find him. Maybe it was the way that Vergil’s eyes flickered to his demon’s more than once - an unusual loss of control given Vergil’s history. Maybe it was because Dance sensed something else entirely. A second demon, likely weaker than Vergil (most things that weren’t him here). But surely not one that required that much of his brother’s energy.

_He’s losing it._

That scared Dante just a bit. Vergil was clearly struggling with something, and Dante didn’t have a clue what it was. And sure, his own demon seemed a bit grouchier than usual - likely because Vergil’s wouldn’t _shut up_ \- but he was in complete control of it. Vergil was not.

All the more reason to track his brother down now before he did something stupid. And it was a good thing he did too, For when he did find Vergil, Dante was both thrilled and horrified to see the white, angel-like the demon that he was fighting. 

“Vergil!”

His brother didn’t look at him as he shot at the demon. It shrieked, throwing a variety of feathers back at him. Vergil dodged around them all and pulled Yamato back, summoning Ashira’s very dangerous blue flames as he did. Dante triggered and barrelled into his brother without thinking, knocking him across the clearing. That clearly surprised both of them, as Dante very rarely caught Vergil off guard. But his brother’s devil eyes - a light shade of blue with thin slits - were glowing. _Shit._ Dante thought. That was a murderous gaze he hadn’t seen in his brother’s eyes in years. 

“Get out of the way,” Vergil growled, his voice caught somewhere between forms. How he kept himself from triggering was anyone’s guess. With the amount of energy radiating off of him, though, he might as well have. 

“Like hell,” Dante said. The second demon floated behind him, and while Dante couldn’t see any discernible emotion, he could sense her surprise. He resisted the urge to throw his head back and grin at her, as his demon wasn’t quite capable of expressing such a thing. “She’s on our side.”

Vergil’s snarl was the only warning Dante got before his brother transformed and dove at him, claws aiming straight for Dante’s neck. He jerked out of the way and reached for Vergil’s arm. His brother vanished. Dante spun around summoning the Devil Sword just in time to block Yamato. He could feel the air crackling with energy, fueling them. Both roared as they knocked each other back and charged again. The fight quickly turned into a frenzy. Sword struck sword, sometimes sneaking through and hitting scales. Vergil’s summoned weapons were flying in all directions, some predictable, but others went wild as if Vergil wasn’t even certain where they would go. Flames sparked in all directions, igniting nearby trees, the grass at their feet, and even clinging to Dante himself. “Stop this, Verge.” Dante roared. Vergil said nothing. Dante wasn’t even sure he could hear him.

“Vergil!”

His brother faltered at the sound of Ashira’s voice and Dante yanked his sword aside. Unfortunately, The blade still caught Vergil’s shoulder; the minuscule piece that wasn’t covered by his scales. Vergil jerked away and slipped back into his human form. The wound healed instantly, but not before blood stained his coat and splattered to the ground The sheer amount of guilt in Dante’s head was enough to rip him from his demon form. It hadn’t been a serious wound, but he hated to imagine how bad it could have been he hadn’t caught himself in time.

“Dante.”

He whirled around, throwing up the best grin he could possibly manage. It wasn’t until Lucia crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow that he realized he was merely clenching his teeth in some kind of weird grimace. “Lucia!” He said as he threw his arms out. “It’s good to see you again.” She hadn’t changed much since he’d last seen her. Same fiery red hair, braided over her shoulder and a bit longer than it used to be. She wore similar leather clothes, but with a long, gray shirt under he white cape instead of the short, midriff revealing piece she had favored back then. While it was likely due to the cold, Dante thought she looked uncomfortable. _Is she paler than usual?_ It bothered Dante that he couldn’t remember. 

Dante’s already aching heart plummeted when she didn’t smile back. “It’s been a long time.” 

“Just a few years,” Dante said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Nothing big.”

Her frown only deepened. “It’s been nearly a decade.”

Dante couldn’t decide if she was upset, tired, or if he was overthinking everything. “What can I say?” He said. “It’s been… busy.” He glanced back at his brother. Vergil was staring at Ashira now, his eyes back to their human forms. But they were glazed over, as if he was trapped in his own thoughts, or - considering the way she was holding his hand - hers. 

“That’s him, huh.”

Dante turned back to Lucia. “That’s my brother.” He said. “Vergil, the…”

“The demon king.”

Dante’s words caught in his throat as he forced his mouth closed. “That’s… debatable.” Vergil had only been to the Underworld once since their escape, and he had made it very clear that he had no interest in ruling it. And Dante believed him, as Vergil had fully committed to his family and had never strayed far from home. 

“You’re the demon king?” The boy shouted, his fists clenched much too tightly at his sides. His look was positively murderous, and Dante wished he could have laughed at the situation. Vergil blinked a few times as his eyes cleared, before glaring at the kid. But the boy either didn’t know whose ire he was drawing or didn’t care. “This is all your fault!”

Vergil scoffed. “I don’t even know you.”

“Lir…” The girl said. 

He didn’t listen. “He killed my family… burned down our home…” Tears pricked his eyes, but it only seemed to make him angrier. “All while looking for _you.”_

“Hold on,” Dante said as he moved between them. Lir was a scrawny kid, clenching a sword that would have been much too big for a human of his size. His hair was a mess, and Dante didn’t know how he could see anything through those unkempt bangs. Clearly, he wasn’t lacking in confidence, staring them both down with the fury of a man who had lived much longer than he had. Dante could respect that, albeit wearily. “You’ve gotta fill us in on the details, because the only demons we’ve met so far are you guys.”

“Not here,” Lucia said. “There’s too many of us in one place, and your brother’s calling enough demons to him already.”

Vergil scowled at her. “I’m doing no such thing.”

Lir snorted. “Great.” He said. “Finally found our _king_ and he’s an idiot.”

Vergil’s eyes flashed again. He jerked forward, but Ashira pushed back with a burst of flame. Vergil slid less than a foot away as she hissed something in their language. He glared at her, but it was only for a moment. Instead, Dante heard a quiet, but frustrated growl as he stood up straighter. “Who is it?”

“I said not…”

“Who,” Vergil growled. “Is the prince?”

Lucia sighed. “He calls himself the Shade, real name unknown. He’s one of many princes that have been fighting for the title of “Demon King” since Mundus died.”

“They can have it.”

“It’s not that simple,” Lucia said. “You of all people should know that.”

The silence that followed told Dante that Vergil _didn’t_ know, but wasn’t willing to admit it. Lucia continued, “when Mundus died, every demon in the Underworld felt it. But no one has the power to take the title of the demon king. It’s pure chaos, and many innocent people are dying because of it.”

“Reavers,” Ashira said quietly.

“Bingo,” Lir said with venomous sarcasm. “Serve or die. Some have escaped, but most have been killed. Their power is too valuable to let go.”

Ashira looked away. “Other demons are suffering too,” Lucia said. “Half-demons especially. But the fighting has been deadlocked for almost five years now. Then the Shade learned who ate the Qliphoth fruit.”

“Kill the King and take his heart,” Lir said. 

Vergil flinched, but by the way his eyes flickered to their demon forms, Dante didn’t think it was at what the kid said. “We have to go.” Dante said.

“I think it's best for all of us if he leaves,” Lucia said quietly, her eyes shifting to Vergil.

“What?” Dante said. “There’s some asshole Prince out there after my brother and you want him to leave?”

“He’s close to a frenzy, Dante,” Lucia said. “And it won’t get any better.”

“I have to kill the Shade,” Vergil growled. 

“Not alone,” Ashira said. 

“I can’t exactly stay here.” He snapped before taking a shaky breath. Dante swore he heard a mumbled apology, but Ashira’s answer was in their own language, so he didn’t bother trying to figure that mess out. 

“If we could all just get to Turtle Cove,” Dante said. “That’s where all our information is.”

Vergil’s laugh was dark and hollow. “Yes, Dante. Because I _clearly_ should throw myself into a city full of humans like this.”

Dante grimaced. “Man your demon’s much bitchier than I remember.”

Vergil glared at him, but he didn’t disagree. “I will survey the area.” He said as he pulled away from Ashira. “From a safe distance.”

“Vergil…” She said. He glanced back at her, and the two just stared at each other for a moment. Finally, she sighed and nodded. 

“Care to let us in on it?” Dante said.

“No.”

Vergil was gone before Dante could think of a suitable response. 

* * *

Ashira had volunteered to go to the van, both because she couldn’t handle the random pulses of Dante’s demon-half, and because Alice asked her to. Lir had been firmly against it, but Dante had talked him down, assuring him that Alice would be safe. Nico eventually joined them, claiming that the other three were talking too loud for her to nap. “We’ll be leaving in the morning,” Nico said as she kicked back in the passenger seat with a loud yawn. “Dante and I will track down our informant, and you’ll do whatever you need to help Vergil.”

Ashira glanced out the window. Vergil’s rather dramatic exit had accomplished what they wanted. Dante and Lir had shrugged it off, and they, along with Lucia, seemed to be having a productive conversation without him. Ashira had left V for that, though he had chosen to keep himself hidden, just in case. V, like Vergil, didn’t trust Lir, and Ashira was the last person to question them on it. Vergil himself was only a short distance away, close enough that she could feel him, but far enough that he would catch any demons that strayed toward them. 

So far, none had done so. 

“Ms. Shira?”

Ashira glanced down at Alice and struggled to smile. Every time she looked at the girl, her heart threatened to break. She hadn’t cried yet as far as Ashira was aware, but there was a large scar on her soul. Not physical like Ashira’s was, but emotional. The kind of scar that only appeared on those who suffered a terrible loss. Vergil and Dante both had one, but their souls had grown around it over the years. Alice’s hadn’t yet, and Ashira wasn’t sure how long it would take. “Yes?”

Alice fidgeted a bit in her seat. “Thank you for bringing me here. I…” She trailed off as her breath caught. Ashira was certain she swallowed a sob before speaking again. “Everyone’s soul is so loud.”

Ashira understood that better than anyone. “How are you doing?” Ashira whispered, leaning in to keep from waking Nico. 

Alice looked away. “I’m… fine.”

“You don’t have to lie to me.”

The girl said nothing and Ashira suddenly wished she hadn’t said anything. The only children she had talked with recently were Kaiden and Angelica, the latter of which always went to Vergil over her anyway. Kaiden had dealt with a few reaver things by now but was much too young to truly understand things. And neither of them had dealt with what Alice was. She tried to imagine what her younger self would want to hear, even though she had no clue if Alice would respond like her. 

“How about this,” Ashira said as she slid to the floor. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her bracelet and V mark. Alice stared at it in surprise, and Ashira made a point of tracing over it. Alice gasped when Shadow appeared on the floor beside them. The panther looked up at her and flicked her tail in interest. “You can cuddle with her, and ask me any questions you like.”

“Is she your companion?”

She heard Griffon grumble in her head. _What am I chopped liver?_ But she ignored him. “In a way.” She said. “Remember that dragon that Dante has?” Alice nodded. “He traveled with me a long time ago, but he’s with Dante now.” And the two were finally friends, despite Calcifer’s insistence that they weren’t.

Finally, Alice slipped to the floor beside Shadow. The cat moved without hesitation, resting her head in Alice’s lap. Alice hesitated at first, but she eventually rolled her hands along the panther’s spine. Shadow purred in pure content. Alice’s shoulders relaxed, and Ashira saw a small smile. “Prometheus was my mother's.” She said. “I used to call him Sharky.” She giggled at that, but then her face fell again. “He got hurt protecting me…”

Ashira was silent for a moment. “He asked me to find you.” She said quietly. Alice teared up again, and Shadow nuzzled her leg in support. “I was able to move his soul on, if that helps.”

Alice nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

SIlence fell over the van again aside from Shadow’s purring. Ashira didn’t keep track of the time. Finally, Alice met her gaze and said, “How old are you?” 

Ashira chuckled. “I turn 52 this year.”

Alice’s eyes snapped open in shock. “What? You look like Lir!”

Ashira grimaced at that, but hid it quickly. “I don’t age as most people do.” 

Alice looked amazed. “Mom is…” She trailed off and looked away. “She was your age, but she looked a lot older.” 

“How old are you?”

“Ten.”

Ashira blinked. _Ten?_ She knew that demons grew up faster than most. Her own grandchildren proved that. But _ten?_ And she was handling this with more courage than any other child she had ever met. But she stayed quiet, as Alice seemed to be contemplating her next question, and Ashira had no intention of interrupting. 

After a few minutes, Alice looked up at her again. “What do souls look like to you?”

Ashira paused. Did they look different to other people? She had never bothered to ask Leo or Celeste. Kyrie had called them “wisps”, but Ashira assumed that was similar to what she saw. “Flames.” She said. “Any scars or scratches are on the bottom, but the energy radiates upward.”

“I see flowers,” Alice said. “The more petals they have, the stronger they are.”

“How many do I have?”

“Lots,” Alice said. “But not as much as the other two.” Her gaze dropped again. “When they were fighting, some of the Demon King’s petals fell off.”

Ashira fought to keep calm. “What does that mean?”

Alice shook her head. “It happened to my mother and father, but they never seemed any different… and I never saw more than a few. None of them saw souls like me, so I was never able to figure it out.”

Ashira pondered it for a moment, as Alice was staring at the floor again. _Petals._ She tried to compare it to her own knowledge of souls. The closest equivalent was how flames would lose some energy when the owner was tired. But both Dante and Vergil’s souls had been overstimulated, their flames much brighter than usual. Maybe after the battle..

“Is… the Demon King your soulmate?”

It took Ashira a moment to realize that Alice was speaking again. “Why do you think that?”

“I saw the tether.” She said. “It’s… really strong.”

 _Impressive_. Ashira thought. While reavers could often sense Soulmates, it was rare for them to actually see the tether, especially at Alice’s age. Ashira hadn’t seen the one between Leo and Helen until she was eighteen, and that had only been for a moment. “Yes,” Ashira said. “He is.”

Alice sniffled, wiping away a tear. “Do you trust him?”

“Always.”

Alice hesitated, before wiping the tears bubbling in her eyes. “Mom told me I would meet mine soon, but I never believed it.”

“You’re still young.”

“I don’t think I’ll make it that long.”

That time, Ashira took her hand without hesitation. And while Alice jumped in surprise, she only squeezed it tighter. “I know you’re scared.” Ashira said. “And I know you’re sad. No one in their right mind would tell you not to feel that way.”

“Lir did…” She whispered. 

_Jerk._ She thought. “Lir cares about you, and that’s his way of helping you overcome the situation. But being sad is natural. Just remember that we will protect you.” She said. _I’ll protect you._ “We’ll all get through this, Alice. I promise.”

This time, Alice let the tears go. “I… I still feel them… still hear them.”

“Feel them?”

“Their souls.” She said. “He took them away before I could save them. I don’t know how… he’s not a reaver.”

“You’re certain.”

Alice nodded. “I… I can show you what happened.”

Ashira blinked, surprised. “Show me…?”

“How they...” She trailed off before taking a deep breath. Her courage was inspiring. Ashira couldn’t help but think of her own life after Gaius’. Their situations didn’t compare (and they never would), But Alice was determined to fix it, just as Ashira had wanted to be. “I saw the Shade.”

Ashira stared at her. While she had been hoping to get information eventually, she didn’t think it would be so soon. But the girl was clearly terrified. Maybe even desperate. “It’s okay if you’re not…” 

“You don’t understand!” Alice shouted as tears filled her eyes. “I have to be strong. I can’t let them… They can’t have died for… for...”

She burst into tears and buried her face into Ashira’s chest. Her heart shattered as she wrapped her arms around the girl and let her cry. _It’s okay._ She thought, but knew she couldn’t say it. _You’re going to be alright._ That was probably more accurate, but Ashira wasn’t certain if either of them would believe it. “I’m…”

The door to the van ripped open, nearly falling right off. Nico jerked awake, smacking her head against the window. Lir ripped Alice from Ashira’s arms so fast she barely had time to let go. “What are you doing?” He snapped. “I knew I shouldn’t have let her go with you.”

Fury flared within her, but she held her feathers back. She had yet to be called the Phoenix, and if they didn’t know who she was, it was probably best to keep it that way. “Stop acting like a child.” She snapped. “Or I will have no choice but to treat you like one.”

She felt a tug on her soul. _Vergil._ Ashira took a deep breath as Dante and Lucia approached, the latter much more worried than the former. “I’m going for a walk.”

“A walk.” Dante said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes.” She said. “I have much to contemplate.”

His eyes narrowed for a moment, before he relaxed and shrugged. “You do you, Shy. Though don’t take too long. We decided to head out tonight.”

“What?” Nico said, her glasses offset. “I ain’t ready to leave.”

“That’s why I’ll be driving,” Dante said with a grin as he thumbed towards himself. 

“No!” Nico said. “You’ll ruin her!”

“I can’t be much worse than you!”

“But she’s my baby!”

“That I helped you buy!”

While the two argued, it was Lir’s mocking snort that caught her attention. “He ain’t coming back, huh? Figures. He left us all to die too.”

Ashira clenched her fists as she felt her fire surge just beneath her skin. _No._ She thought. _I will not cave to you._ “I am not your enemy.” She said. 

_And I suggest you keep it that way._

She shook her head, exhaled and smiled at Alice. “They’ll take good care of you, okay? I won’t be long.” The girl nodded, but her arms had yet to unwrap from her brother’s waist. She felt a second tug, more urgent than the first. She was half surprised he hadn’t just pulled her to him. “I’ll be back soon.”

Lir’s eyes bored into her, and she felt his hatred even as she walked away. 

_He knows something._ V’s voice echoed in her mind. 

_If only we knew what._

* * *

She found Vergil near a cave only a few miles away. It hadn’t taken long - clearly, he had no intention of hiding from her - but the hesitance on his face implied that he might have wanted to. “We need that information.” He said. 

“I need Lir to go away.” She muttered. “Alice wants to share it, but she’s too scared when he’s around.”

Vergil shook his head. “Later then.” His eyes were fully demonic now, and Ashira swore she could see small bits of scales along his neck, nearly hidden by his collar. The mumblings of his demon were frantic and confusing, but quieter than before. Her heart broke when she realized he was hiding it from her. They never hid anything from each other. “Vergil...” 

“It’s for your own good.” He said, his voice clipped. Ashira flinched away and, while she felt the apology in his soul, his demeanor didn’t change. “I need you to go to Turtle Cove and find Pythagoras. Take the girl if you have to.”

Ashira fought to hold herself together. He needed her to be strong, especially if his demon was affecting him like this. “Even if her brother lets me, what good will that do?”

“She sees souls differently than you.” Vergil said. “That may interest him.”

“I can’t take her to the Underworld like this.” She heard his demon growl in her head, but she pushed back. “And I can’t just leave you.”

“And I can’t be near anyone like this.”

“Vergil…”

“He wanted me to kill Dante.” Vergil said. “And the kid, for that matter. Your intervention is all that stopped him, and I doubt it will work a second time.”

“You didn’t hurt them.” Ashira said. “You wouldn’t…”

Suddenly, Vergil snapped at her, shoving them both towards the rocks. His eyes flickered for half a second, and he grabbed her before actually slamming into the cave wall. But his second hand shot by her, shattering the rocks with nothing but his palm. A spike of fear struck her, quickly followed by shame. Vergil would never hurt her. Not even like this. She shouldn’t be afraid of him. 

“He _wants_ to hurt you, Shira.” Vergil said, his breathing suddenly pained and ragged. How desperately she wanted to soothe him. The inner turmoil in his own head, no matter how muted he tried to make it, made hers spin. She tried to focus on his soul, but it was flickering as erratically as his own thoughts. There was nothing she could do to stop it. “He’s demanding that I claim you. That I make you mine _again_. And not in the human way. But…” His eyes closed. “If you had any inkling of what he’s thinking… of what he wants me to do, you wouldn’t be here.”

Ashira reached out, brushing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. He didn’t flinch away. “If that’s what you need…”

Vergil scoffed. “Don’t be foolish.”

This time, it was her own frustration that pulsed between them. “Demon things, remember? We promised each other that we would do whatever we needed to do. It’s part of who we are, is it not?”

“This is different.”

“I trust you, _Saina_. I’ve always trusted you.”

“You shouldn’t. Not right now.”

“Why? Because you don’t trust yourself?”

Vergil went silent. His fingers clenched, further cracking the rocks. His eyes had turned completely silver now, and showed no signs of changing back. “Go to Turtle Cove. Find Pythagoras. I will look for the Prince myself.”

Ashira reached for his hand. “Vergil please…”

Vergil tore himself away. “Just do as I say!” 

They both froze at that. This wasn’t him. This wasn’t even his demon. It had never acted like this around her. As far as Ashira knew, he and the Phoenix thought of each other as equals. Surely a single Demon Prince wouldn’t ruin everything between them? 

She took another slow, but shaky breath. “And if the Prince comes for me?”

“He won’t.”

“You don’t know that.” She said. “Do you truly believe I’m safe without you?”

Vergil growled at her, but caught himself and took a long step back. “You’ve been borrowing my power for years, and have my familiars to help you. Why do you doubt yourself now?”

“He believes he can kill _you_ , Vergil.” Ashira said. “He knows who you are, which means he probably knows what I am. And how better to get to you than through me?”

“Enough.”

“What happened to trusting me?” She snapped. “To fighting everything together? This is the first major issue in eight years and you’re running away?”

“I’m not running.” He said. “And life doesn’t always work the way you want it to.” 

Her blood was practically boiling by now. “The way _I_ want it to?”

“I can’t always be there for you.” He said.

“I never said…”

“And I can handle this demon on my own.”

“Drop the act, Vergil.” She snapped. “You’re leaving because you’re _scared._ ” His eyes narrowed at that, but something else tugged at her. Her own anger, however, was overwhelming, bleeding between herself and the temper of the Phoenix. “Or am I simply not a good enough partner for you anymore?”

“Shira.”

“And if that’s the case, then I apologize for getting in your way, _your highness_.”

The second the words actually left her mouth she regretted it. When she tried to apologize, nothing came out. And in the silence, Vergil watched her. Unblinking. Unmoving. Inhuman. _Unnatural._ And it hurt. Not just because he wasn’t himself - they would find a way to fix that. But because he was retreating further into himself before her eyes, and nothing she said could change his mind.

Her anger diminished, replaced by insurmountable grief. If he felt it, he didn’t show it. “I want to help. Please let me…” Her voice trailed off... For the first time in a very long time, Ashira felt alone. They always shared their pain with each other. At least, that’s what they were supposed to do. _Until death do us part_ , whenever that might be. Yet, his thoughts were silent. His emotions were gone. His demon was pulling him away, and he was letting it. 

_I'm sorry, Saina._

After what felt like an eternity, Vergil turned away. “Your anger is justified.” He said, his human voice slipping back for the briefest of moments. “I’m not abandoning you, Shira.” 

She couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice any more than the sadness in her heart. “It sure feels that way.”


	5. Blooming Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Ashira is determined to find information, and Dante realizes some things he may have missed. Unfortunately, the dangers of the Shade is ever looming...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just a real quick retcon for people who are reading the entire Through the Ashes series. I have, after much consideration, decided that this story takes place AFTER everything else except Inheritance. There is a really important reason for this I won't spoil, but it just made much more sense. I have altered Solitude to match this (nothing too crazy, so don't feel like you have to go back and read it or anything), and all future stories will continue from here. 
> 
> Timelines are hard. 
> 
> Also, it looks like this is going to be eight chapters including an epilogue. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy ^^

The drive to Turtle Cove was more awkward than Dante thought it would be, especially considering that four of his five passengers were passed out in the back. Though he supposed whether or not Ashira was sleeping was debatable. But her weird “staring off into space with blank eyes” look creeped him out too much to worry about it. Vergil hadn’t come back, and Ashira had curtly told Dante that he wouldn’t. And he might have worried about it, but they had all agreed it was better off this way.

Vergil could take care of himself. At least, that’s what Dante kept telling himself.

For now, however, he was more concerned about the fifth passenger, who was currently staring at the window. Lucia hadn’t said a word to him that wasn’t mission-related, and Dante wasn’t sure what to say himself. The last time they met had been to take down Balrog, a demon-arm which still resided somewhere in his mind. Surprisingly, since the demon had proclaimed to the heavens that he would battle Dante again when he was stronger. Or maybe it wasn’t so surprising after Dante had absorbed the Sparda. But Dante didn’t know, nor did he care. Lucia had been… happier then, right?

_It’s been almost a decade._

He’d been gone ten years last time as well and she had seemed okay with that then. Though, admittedly, he hadn’t asked her about it either. Dante rarely did ask about that type of stuff. He was (somewhat) aware of his own oblivious nature, but he’d also never been good at reading “emotions” and “feelings”. Usually, he just "faked it ‘til he made it", a trick that his brother had not picked up on over the years.

But even he knew something was off. She was too quiet. Too distant. Too… unlike herself. And it was really bothering him.

_Why_ was it bothering him?

“So…” He said in the most charming voice he could manage. “How have you been?”

She didn’t look at him. “Surviving. Taking jobs here and there. Though once you came back, there wasn’t much for me to take.”

Dante chuckled. He hated how strained it sounded. “Sorry about that.” He said. “We may have overdone it.”

She shrugged. “I’ve kept myself busy.”

Silence fell between them again, but his mouth went dry when he tried to break it. She sounded miserable, but what could he say? _Hey, sorry I forgot about you. Things have been so complicated with Vergil and Reavers and the Phoe-_

“Did you know about reavers?” He said. “You know, back then?”

This time, she turned to him. “I had heard rumors over the years, but nothing concrete. I'm not really surprised. Some of them have been in hiding for generations.” She glanced at the sleeping Lir and Alice in the backseat. “Their parents were 500 years old and had been living underground since they were born. Who knows how far back it actually went?”

“Probably when Mundus took over.”

“Maybe longer.” She said. “Did you know that some of them can read people’s minds through their souls? What potential ruler wouldn’t want that on their side?”

“Someone who doesn’t want their mind read.”

She smiled ever so slightly at that. “That does sound… maddening.”

“Verge and Ashira can hear each other,” Dante said. He often wondered if Vergil liked that part of their relationship, or had resigned to simply accept it. Dante couldn’t imagine what it was like knowing everything his partner was thinking. Or the knowledge that said partner knew everything _he_ was thinking, which sounded like the worst part of the whole deal. “Cal here sees souls like she does, but with everything she’s been through, I can’t imagine what she sees now.”

“So she is a reaver.”

“Yep.” He said. “One of the best!”

Lucia raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

The words were out before he could stop them. “She’s the Phoenix.”

Lucia blinked as her jaw set, likely trying to hide her shock. “She’s the Phoenix?”

“The one and only!” Dante said. “Or the most recent of like thirteen. I don’t know all the details.”

If Dante didn’t know any better, he’d think that Lucia stopped breathing entirely. “What are the odds?” She murmured.

“What?”

“The few reavers I’ve met talk of two potential saviors of their kind,” She said. “The Demon King and the Phoenix. None of them mentioned that they were together.” She shook her head. “I don’t think any of the Princes know that either.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Dante said with a shrug. “They keep to themselves for the most part. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even know if we weren’t family. “

She chuckled softly at that, and Dante couldn’t help but smile. _I can still manage that at least._ “You’ve always been rather oblivious.”

He glanced at her for a moment until he realized he was slowly drifting off the road and snapped his gaze forward to correct it. She’d said that before, hadn’t she? At least, he thought she had. His memory was a bit fuzzy on the details. He didn’t think he’d known what she meant back then either. “I guess so.”

Her frown returned and she returned to staring out the window. “You should be more careful who you tell these things to.”

“I trust ya,” He said. “Always have.”

“Maybe.” She said. “But you never know who’s listening.”

* * *

By the time they reached Turtle Cove, the sun had come up. And while the small town was lively and the weather was beautiful, Ashira was more miserable than she had been in a long time. But she had a job to do, and the last thing she wanted was to get caught up in her emotions. The tether was still there. Vergil was still alive. She’d left on horrible terms, but they’d survived worse.

_In theory._ She thought. They’d had their arguments, but never like that. Ever since Nero had told Vergil to “never go to bed angry” (which was quite silly considering that they could stay up for weeks if they wanted to) Vergil had taken it to heart. Disputes between them were usually solved within the hour and they both moved on. Life, in their case, was too long to stay mad at each other. Eight hours of unresolved conflict was new territory, and Ashira wished she could fix it. But if Vergil heard her thoughts anymore, he didn’t come, and Ashira knew she wouldn’t be able to find him. The tether might still be there, but it vanished only a few feet away. She didn’t know when he had learned to hide it from her, but she wasn’t surprised.

_Stop it._ She chastised herself. _You have a goal. Focus on that._

But finding Pythagoras in a remote location seemed almost as difficult as finding a reason for him to speak to her.

And Lir, who she was slowly coming to loathe, was not helping.

“You are not taking my sister with you.” He said.

“We need information.” She said trying to channel her inner Vergil. Unfortunately, she was incapable of glaring people into submission and had a feeling that Lir would only get angrier if she tried. “Pythagoras is harmless, and she will be safe with me.”

“She isn’t safe with anyone.”

“Lir…” Alice said. Ashira had a feeling this is how things always were between them. She’d come to learn, with V’s help, that Lir was nearly a decade older than Alice, and firmly believed that he was the only thing keeping his sister alive. And, if Ashira really thought about it, she couldn’t blame him. He was as much of a survivor as Alice was, but his “protectiveness” was becoming a detriment.

“You’re not going,” Lir said. “And that’s final.”

“But I want to go,” Alice whispered. “I want to help.”

Lir hesitated. But before Ashira could respond, it was Nico, of all people, who stepped in. “I can go too if ya like. I ain’t afraid of some demon.”

His eyes widened. “You would willingly go to the Underworld for this?”

“You mean to stop a crazy Demon Prince for killing us all?” Nico said with a snort. “Heck yeah.”

“I can do it,” Alice said. “And I’ll be back before you know it.”

Finally, Lir relented with a sigh. “Then I’ll go with you.”

“Good idea,” Ashira said. What a lie that was. She’d rather he stay with Dante and the others. _So they can watch him._ V said, repeating what she wasn’t quite willing to stay. But she was more relieved that Lir had stopped arguing about it. What did surprise her, however, was when Alice pulled away from him and took Ashira’s hand instead. She might have relished the surprise on his face, but was too distracted by the latent fear on the girl’s soul. “We’re going to be alright,” Ashira said. “Pythy’s mean on the outside, but he would never hurt you.” When she squeezed Alice’s hand, the girl nodded with newfound determination. 

Words could not express how proud Ashira was of her. But they also couldn’t explain what else she needed from Alice; information that Lir likely wouldn’t let her have.

_One thing at a time._ V said.

“Meet at the hotel?” Dante asked. “We’ll figure things out on our end.”

Ashira nodded. “Good luck.”

* * *

The first place they went to was the library. Two hours later, it also became the first time Ashira had ever been frustrated in a library. 

“Nothing.” She muttered. Because _of course_ there wouldn’t be anything. While she had known her idea for finding him had been optimistic at best, she was still disappointed. Maybe it was the hope that something in this mess would be simple. But expecting Pythagoras to be “simple” was the equivalent of expecting a penguin to fly.

At least Lir had cooled off since leaving the others. While he hadn’t said much while tracking the place down, she had sensed his anger turn into something akin to resigned reluctance. Though she started to understand that he was simply distrustful. He’d trailed a few feet behind her the entire trip, likely to run if she showed any hostility. It didn’t help that Alice seemed to favor Ashira’s company over his, as Alice had only let go of her hand once they reached the library, and only because Lir had found her some books to read. Neither of them had said anything to Ashira since, but she didn’t mind. If that’s what they needed to handle their grief, then let them have it.

To Lir’s credit, he had tried to help. But considering he’d only heard of Pythagoras in passing (and hadn’t believed he was real), there wasn’t much he could do beyond pulling random books and searching for clues. But Ashira hadn’t been able to tell him what those clues might be, so he had eventually wandered to a safe corner on the balcony to survey the entire library, including Alice that had settled beside a window.

Ashira had heard her sniffles once or twice, but had resisted the urge to go to her. Instead, she crawled upstairs, miserable and wishing she had better news.

“Nothing I assume?” Lir said, not looking at her. Ashira resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She recognized that kind of bravado, though Vergil had the confidence to pull it off, whereas Lir was clearly faking it. A part of her wished she knew if he was trying to be strong for Alice, or if something else was going on. But all she saw on his soul was a thin streak of grief.

“No,” She said. “I’ve tried everything I can think of.”

He looked back at his sister. “What did you expect?”

_I don’t know._ She thought. _A magical doorway hiding in the walls?_ “It was worth a shot.”

He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. The hilt of his greatsword made a quiet thud, but he didn’t seem to notice. Ashira took a chance. “Inheritance?”

While he tried to hide his surprise, the way his eyes snapped to her ruined his attempt. “My grandfather’s,” he said after a moment. “Father had his own weapon. A pair of daggers I never quite got the hang of.” His head tilted slightly. “You’re a reaver, yes?”

Odd question. Her soul should have given that away already. “Yes.”

“Must be nice,” he said. “protected by the Demon King. Bet nothing bothers you.”

“I fight my own battles,” She said. That wasn’t completely the truth. There were plenty of times that she and Vergil would fight together, but he would inevitably kill more demons than her. It wasn’t for lack of trying on her part. He was just faster, stronger, and required significantly less power to access his demon form than she did. Though that did bring into question if using his familiars was the same as “fighting her own battles”, but she controlled them so... “And it clearly isn’t helping now.”

“Why didn’t you convince him to come back?” Lir said. 

“He knows himself better than…”

“Back to the Underworld,” Lir corrected. “He could have helped the reavers. Taken our side in this stupid war. Then families like mine wouldn’t have had to run. Wouldn’t have had to...” He hesitated before ending with a clipped, “die.”

Ashira hoped to hide her own pain. “I was unaware of how bad it was.”

Lir lurched off the wall. “How could you not know?”

“I was isolated for most of my life.” She said. “I only escaped when I found him a few years ago, and haven’t returned since.”

Lir’s eyes narrowed. “You should have known.”

“I didn’t.”

After a long moment, in which she refused to break his gaze, he looked away. “My parents and their grandparents came over a few centuries before I was born. Father used to tell me they were freed by the Phoenix, but I never knew if he was telling the truth.” Ashira’s breath almost caught, but she held it together. “I was born in the human world, nineteen years ago. My grandfather taught me how to use this when I was young, but when Alice was born, we have to keep moving.” He shook his head with a quiet sigh. “When the Qliphoth rose, my grandfather hoped the new king could be swayed to our side. But we never found him. And when the Qliphoth fell we just… kept moving. And everything seemed fine until...” He paused, and Ashira swore she saw the hint of tears in his eyes. He looked away “Until two weeks ago.”

“All of your family…”

“Yes,” He said. “Except for Alice and myself.”

Flashes of Vergil’s memories slipped through her mind. Her losses always felt minuscule compared to others. Maybe it was the two decades in isolation. Maybe it was the fact that she had been responsible for Leo’s death… or maybe it was because she rarely thought about the past anymore. “I’m sorry,” Ashira said.

He scoffed at that. “For what? You didn’t kill them.”

Ashira said nothing, as admitting the truth would jeopardize much more than this conversation. But her guilt didn’t go away. She should have been there. That’s what the Phoenix was meant to do. Bridge the gap between words, give humans, demons, and especially reavers – people like her – hope that no one else could. The other Phoenixes had done so until it was no longer safe to try. Until Mundus took control and sought them out. And even then they have risked their lives to save who they could, some fighting right under Mundus’ nose. It was the reason Kai was still alive; because his mother had managed to show Sparda what humans needed the most. Ashira had assumed that Mundus’ death would fix things, and that reavers could come out of hiding and make their own way in whatever world they chose. 

Clearly, she’d been wrong.

“Ms. Ashira?”

Both of their eyes snapped to Alice who had somehow climbed up the stairs without either of them noticing. “I see something.” She said hesitantly. “A weird soul. It’s not… It’s not a flower. I’ve never seen one like it.”

“Show me,” Lir said, pushing past Ashira with that same faux confidence he’d shown before. Ashira held back a retort as all three of them rushed down the stairs. Outside, Ashira caught sight of the soul Alice spoke of; an artificial soul. One she had only seen once before. 

She took off in a rush, not glancing back once she heard Lir’s footsteps thudding behind her. The soul kept running, turning around buildings just as Ashira reached a spot she might have seen who it was. She charged through people, holding her flames back. Eventually, the soul led her out of town, but vanished by the time she reached the beach. Ashira bit back a swear as Lir stopped beside her, Alice latched onto his back.

“This is beautiful,” Alice whispered.

Ashira took a deep breath as she stared out over the water. It was quiet here – _how far did we run? –_ aside from the rolling of the waves. There wasn’t a soul in sight aside from her companions. Nothing else to look at but the glistening water under the uninhibited sun. Ashira thought she should be excited. She’d seen pictures of the ocean, but nothing like this. But all it did was add to her sadness, as the one person she wanted to be here wasn’t speaking with her. 

“Mistress Ashira?”

Ashira whirled around and her sadness melted into pure relief. The puppet women with golden, yarn-like hair and a spring dress said bowed at the waist. “My master wishes to speak to you and the girl.” She said as she turned toward the cave. “But the boy is to stay out here.”

Lir bristled at that. “I will not…”

“It’s okay,” Alice said. “You can stay out here and keep the demons away.”

Lir’s eyes softened in a way Ashira hadn’t seen yet as he let his sister go. “Promise me you’ll come back if you think you’re in danger.”

Alice nodded, taking Ashira’s hand again. The puppet bowed as she pressed her hand to the wall, and both walked through the door that opened. As she entered the library, a low grumble greeted her. “I shouldn’t have let you in,” Pythagoras said, back in his egregious red cape and gaudy, purple robe. “But this is a… special occasion.” He snapped his fingers and a second puppet appeared, this time with a strange, green Teddy Bear with spiky ears and way too many fabric teeth. But Alice, mesmerized, took it before following the puppet to the couches by the fire. Ashira moved toward her, but Pythagoras cut her off. 

“The bear is made to soothe younger demons.” He said, his voice low. “You’ll have more luck speaking to her once this is over.” Ashira stared at him, but the demon merely huffed and said, “Come with me.”

* * *

Dante forgot what pure frustration felt like. It was rare that an informant (or in this case a lack of one, as their informant was completely useless) bothered him so. But it was also rare for his brother’s life to be on the line. Or for Demon Princes to wander around in the human world. Or for really any of this shit that was going down at the moment. He’d resolved to forgive his own irritation. 

Lucia, however, was strangely optimistic. “If they haven’t heard anything useful, then maybe the Prince isn’t here.”

“Maybe,” Dante said trying to hide his disappointment. He felt Calcifer curl up in his pocket, as the dragon’s frustration had simply made him tired. Dante wished he could do the same. “But if he’s not here, then where else would he be?” Nero’s face crossed his mind, but Vergil had assured him that everyone in Nero’s household - Lady and Trish included - were on high alert and would call if anything came up. Dante hadn’t heard anything, and he couldn’t exactly divide his worry between Vergil, Ashira, and the rest of their family all at once.

“Hey,” Lucia said as she pressed gently on his arm. Dante almost jumped at the touch, but managed to pull himself together.

“I’m fine,” He said with a wide grin and a thumbs up. “Just a lot on my mind.” They’d already checked into the hotel, but without Ashira or the kids, there wasn’t any reason to stay. Nico promised to watch out for them, as she had other things to investigate, but Dante figured she’d be taking a nap by now.

“Well,” Lucia said. “Have you been here before?”

“Can’t say I have,” Dante said. “Why?”

“There’s a beach nearby,” Lucia said. “It’s a public one, but still fun to walk along.”

“Ooooh,” Dante said. “I didn’t know you were the master of Turtle Cove.”

“I’ll have you know,” Lucia said. “That I have been here once five years ago. So clearly I know everything there is to know.”

“Is that so?” Dante said. “Well then, Miss Expert. Where could a guy get some good food?”

“The Lighthouse,” Lucia said. “Fine dining restaurant looking over the ocean. If we get lucky, we might get a seat in the next hour.”

Dante held his arm out to her. “Lead the way.”

She watched him for a moment with an expression he couldn’t identify. Then, she wrapped her arm with his. Even with his coat in the way, Dante found himself blushing ever so slightly. How long had it been since he’d been this close to someone? Lady and Trish were friends, and while Lady and he bickered often - usually leading to her slapping him in some capacity - they’d never done anything like this. She was a sister to him. Trish was a good friend. But Lucia…

“Dante?”

He blinked. “Yeah?”

Lucia chuckled. “I must be a pretty boring tour guide if you’re that distracted.”

“Of course not!” Dante said. “I was just enjoying the sights.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You were staring at me.”

“Exactly!” He said. Lucia stared at him, before shaking her head with a quiet laugh as they continued along. Dante, however, couldn’t help but glance toward her ever few steps. He’d always thought Lucia attractive, but Dante didn’t really do commitments. Not because he couldn’t, though considering the state of his overdue bills, that alone might be wishful thinking, but because he’d never… tried it. When he was younger, he hated the idea of passing on his father’s bloodline. Over time, he’d realized that he actually hated _himself._ His demon half was a monster he hadn’t wanted, but one his brother had forced to accept. Eventually, he had come to appreciate it to some extent, but he had always been wary of actual relationships. Why bother if he’d outlive everyone? Why force a child to suffer the same way he had?

Meeting Nero had shown him how illogical that fear was, but it hadn’t changed much else. Dante was wacky. Unreliable. More of a hindrance than a reliable mate.

But then _Vergil_ of all people had not only fallen in love with someone, but willingly married her for everyone to see. Even after everything they’d been through, and seeing everything that had changed, Vergil was the last person Dante thought would end up in a long-lasting relationship. In hindsight, it made perfect sense. When Vergil wanted something, he committed to it without hesitation. And while that had been a bit of a detriment in his younger years (to say the least), it was one of his best qualities now. 

But Dante wasn’t the same. He failed at things. He failed people. He was better off…

His mind went blank as they stepped onto the beach. The sun was high in the sky. The ocean was like diamonds beneath it. There were less people lounging around than he thought there would be, so their idle chatter was nothing compared to the roll of the waves. Lucia slipped her arm from his and took a step forward. The sun made her skin glisten, and Dante couldn’t help but stare. For the first time since they’d met again, she looked relaxed. Happy even, as she held her hands out as if trying to catch the light itself. “It isn’t the best beach in the area,” she said as she looked to him. “But it’s nice all the same.”

He chuckled. “You could say that again.”

This time, she grinned with an unusually mischievous glint in her eyes. “It isn’t the best beach in the area, but…”

Dante rolled his eyes. “Got ourselves a comedian,:

She laughed, but shrugged the comment off as she pointed to a red-bricked lighthouse in the distance. Dante only looked at it for a moment.“ Best seafood in the area is right up there.”

“You know,” Dante said as he put his hands on the back of his head. “There are much better things to do than eating.”

“Would you like some more ocean facts?” Lucia said as she took a few steps backward. “Maybe we could track down some turtles.”

“Sounds like fun,” He said. “Where should we look?”

“They usually come out of the ocean around this time of year,” She said as she reached down to undo her boots. When she looked back up, Dante ripped his eyes away, certain she’d caught him anyway. So instead of risking meeting her gaze again, he kicked his own boots off with a flourish. “Not too long,” He said. “Wouldn’t want to worry the others.”

“Yes, Dante,” She said. “I’m sure they’ll be worried sick about you.” She stopped at the edge of the water, and Dante watched the water roll over her toes at least twice before moving forward himself.

“How has it really been?” Dante asked. Odd how much of a challenge that was. He rarely hesitated over anything, especially not a conversation. But apparently, a lot of things were going all wrong at the moment. This was probably the least of his problems.

She was quiet for a long time, looking up at the sky. He stepped closer to her, uncertain if he should stand next to her or stay back. Neither option felt right, so he stood somewhere in the middle. “I won’t lie,” She said quietly. “It’s been lonely since you left.” She turned toward him, and Dante’s breath caught in his throat.

She really was beautiful.

How did he not see it?

“I’m…” He trailed off. “I’m sorry… for not being there.”

“It’s okay.” She said. “Honestly. You’re not the kind of guy to settle down. I know that.”

“But I…”

“And I’m sure you have someone else in your life by now.”

“I really…”

“And I hope that she…”

“I’m single, actually,” Dante said.

Lucia stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter. For some reason, that was infectious enough that he cracked up to. Within seconds both were clutching their stomachs, with Dante nearly doubled over. At some point, they’d wandered further toward the water, and the waves splashed up to his knees. The leather clung to his skin, but he didn’t care. This is what they had come for, hadn’t they? Though he had imagined Vergil and Ashira out here, enjoying each other’s company, while he was off sleeping away in the hotel, mission completed hours ago.

That stopped him in his tracks. What was he doing? His family needed him. They needed…

“Dante,” Lucia said. Her hand moved toward his, but she hesitated. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out.”

He said nothing for a while, just stared out over the ocean. Then, with all of the confidence he could manage, he reached out and took her hand. “Absolutely,” He said with a wide grin and a wink. “There hasn’t been a mission I’ve failed yet.”

A scream in the distance yanked them both away. Dante took off without hesitation, and Lucia was by his side almost as fast. The few on the beach ran in the opposite direction in a panic. Dante dodged them all, forgetting to apologize to the one that crashed into him.

He stopped short when he found the bodies. Two humans, he assumed. One male, one female, both in swimsuits and both with holes in their chests. “No hearts,” Dante mumbled feeling suddenly lightheaded. How recent was this? Had he missed it? He didn’t recognize either of them, so...

“Dante,” Lucia said quietly, her eyes drifting down the sand. And if Dante hadn’t dealt with demons his entire life, he might have lost whatever was left in his stomach the second he saw the third body. It was mangled, almost beyond recognition. A massive gash crossed across its chest, so deep that it was missing some of his organs. His clothes were torn completely to shreds, much more than the other two. His face was cut in all directions, and Dante swore there were small flower buds growing within the wounds themselves. In fact, when he looked closer, there were plants growing throughout _all_ of the wounds, but he suspected that wouldn’t last long.

Most notably, the body wasn’t missing a heart. On the contrary, the heart had _vines_ growing from it, attaching to the skin in seemingly random patches, as if trying to pull it back together.

“It’s still beating,” Lucia whispered.

_Impossible._ Is what Dante wanted to say. But he could hear it too, and every beat spread more blood along the vines. “Hey, Cal…”

The dragon pulled himself out of Dante’s pocket and moved quickly to the bodies. While Dante knew the dragon wasn’t squeamish, he was surprised at how serious Calcifer was. Not only was he silent, but he was being very thorough, crawling around the first two bodies as if he were an investigation dog, before gliding over to the third one. On that one, he paused, and Dante could almost imagine Calcifer frowning. “Their souls are still here, red-man.”

That didn’t make sense. Hadn’t Vergil said the others had been stolen? He might understand if the third soul had been left behind, but the other two? Why take the hearts and not the souls? Or maybe they had the first one all wrong…

“Anything else?”

Calcifer paused for a moment, glancing between the second and third bodies. “Those two are reavers.” He said. “But this one,” he looked back to the third. “This one is human.”

“How horrible.” Lucia murmured as she moved closer. Dante followed and crouched beside Calcifer before Lucia could. A part of him wished she didn’t have to see this, but his brain was quick to remind him that she had seen much, much worse.

“What’s the point?” Dante said. 

“Experimentation.”

Dante whirled around, meeting the glowing, silver eyes of his brother. Though he was still in human form, all Dante could feel was his demon. Memories of that night on the Temen-ni-gru flooded him. A time when his brother had cared only for his power. When he only listened to the demon in his head who thought the Underworld was where he belonged. But Dante swallowed his weariness. Vergil had come to him. Not to fight. Just to talk. The idea that he had been hovering close by was almost endearing, except Dante didn’t know how long Vergil could hold himself together. “As Calcifer said,” Vergil continued. “These are all different from the ones Ashira and I found.”

“You mean other than the creepy plants?” Dante said finally.

“That one isn’t as important at the moment,” He said. Cold, calculative Vergil. How much he had changed, and how much he had to lose if they didn’t fix this. “He’s right. The souls are still here.” Vergil walked up to the first two, unsheathing Yamato. For a second, Dante thought he was going to slice them in two. Instead, he summoned a hint of Ashira’s flames and sliced through the air over the top of them, murmuring something in their personal language before resheathing it.

“He sent them away,” Cal said as he moved back to Dante’s side and hopped into his hand.

“Where is Ashira?”

“Went after Pythy as far as I know. But haven’t heard anything yet.”

“And you haven’t seen the boy or Alice since?”

“No, but we haven’t really looked.”

Vergil shook his head. “I’ve circled the area numerous times, and have yet to sense anything that would qualify as a demon prince.”

“I’m certain one left the Underworld,” Lucia said.

“I don’t doubt that,” Vergil said. “It is likely he is hiding his soul. Maybe even moving between worlds, given the state of the barrier.” 

“It’s gotten worse?” Dante said.

“Much worse,” Vergil said. “You could jump between them if you wanted to. Though I wouldn’t recommend it.” 

“Have you?” 

If Vergil heard his question, of which Dante had no doubt, he continued on as if he hadn’t. “If this killer and the last one are the same, then they were likely in a hurry.” His head tilted just slightly. “I have yet to figure out how they kill these victims so cleanly. Cutting the hearts out alone should leave an egregious amount of blood.”

“You’ve found others?”

“Reavers?” He said. “No. But humans,” He glanced at the third body. Nothing else needed to be said.

“Lir mentioned plants when talking about his parent’s deaths,” Lucia said. “But I only heard of flowers, not vines like this.”

“Azalea,” Vergil muttered.

Dante blinked. Vergil hadn’t mentioned that word before. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

He was quiet for a moment, staring down at the plant infested body. “I don’t know,” He said. “But I will find out.”

When he turned to leave, Dante grabbed his wrist. Vergil flinched, but didn’t tear himself away. “Come back,” Dante said. “You don’t have to fight this alone.”

When Vergil did pull away, it was less aggressive than Dante expected. “Watch the kid. I will remain nearby. And…” He paused. “Protect her, Dante.”

“Protect her yourself,” Dante said. “You’re clearly…”

But Vergil was already gone, as if he hadn’t existed at all.


	6. Heaven on a Landslide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh as Vergil struggles to hold on to the man he’s become, as the demon he used to be threatens to drag him down. Ashira realizes what must be done, but learns of a much greater threat to her most powerful ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more (I hope... we'll see how long it gets) chapter after this one, then an epilogue.
> 
> Then there will be lots of fluffy things (including a Christmas special!) after this one while I work out the details of the next long fic.
> 
> Anyways, more sadness incoming. I do hope you enjoy it though!

It had taken Vergil less time to find the object of his demon’s fascination than it had for Ashira and the others to arrive in Turtle Cove. And while he had tried to avoid it, as he was certain the frequent trips between worlds was causing great strain on the barrier between them, he couldn’t stop himself from opening that portal each time he did. His demon’s overpowering desire had brought him back no less than six times. And with each visit, its incessant whispers grew louder and louder. And the more Vergil tried to ignore it, the louder it got.

_Take it._

_It’s the power you’ve always wanted._

_Sit on the throne and the world is yours._

_All yours._

His visit to Dante had been the final straw. He’d barely managed to find him. Barely held himself together long enough to figure out what had gone wrong. His only saving grace had been his demon’s sudden interest in the plants protruding from the human victim. 

_The plants represent our enemy._ It said to him as he trudged back to its new favorite place. _We must understand them if we wish to conquer them._

Vergil stopped at the door; a towering thing made of a mix of silver and blackened metal. It, like the rest of this hells forsaken castle, was smooth and devoid of anything to identify who it might belong to. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered it. It had been different back then, adorned by numerous carvings of Mundus and the heads of his enemies. The palace had been golden - or was it bronze? - and filled to the brim with docile servants and demons trapped in bodies not their own. Mundus had only stayed here a short time and, as far as Vergil knew, the palace had been left alone since Mundus' death. No one had sat on the throne. No one else could. This cursed place, the throne he wanted so badly to ignore, was waiting just for him. 

If Vergil weren’t so exhausted, he would have laughed bitterly at the irony. 

_I’ll never escape._

It was his fault and he knew it, but it didn’t stop the agony in his heart. 

Slowly, and only somewhat of his own will, Vergil shoved the doors open. They creaked as they parted, albeit quieter than last time. When he stepped forward, they slammed shut behind him. A breeze from the hole in the ceiling caught his coattails for a split second, before dispersing as fast as it came. The throne room itself was massive. The ceilings reached far into the sky, but - like the rest of the palace - they were made of unadorned, smooth silver. It was a giant box of plain metal that could easily house hundreds of demons. 

The only object in the room was the throne. It sat proudly over a flight of stairs, just below a solitary hole in the ceiling, shimmering in the moonlight. While his demon wanted him to approach it, Vergil pulled himself away, pressing his back against the door he slumped to the floor. His demon growled at the defiance, but it had yet to overtake him. All he had to do was stay awake. Wait for Ashira or Dante to sort this out, and he would be free. 

With a great amount of effort, he lay Yamato across his lap. His fingers brushed the feather Ashira had left for him. Vergil could feel his heart twisting in something akin to loneliness. He had thought it shame once before, but that wasn’t true. At least, not fully. He had assumed this time apart would be nothing to him. A few short days to figure everything out. And, when it was all over, he would fix the mess he’d made between them. It wouldn’t be that difficult, as he was certain Ashira wanted to do the same. But this separation… that blank space in his mind that he hadn’t felt in years was more painful and distracting than he’d ever thought it would be. His soul felt empty without that permanent tug. He felt empty, unable to reach her, and almost unwilling to admit that he may have taken their connection for granted. 

His eyes drifted back to the throne. He wished he could destroy it and move on with his life. He wished he could go to Ashira without his demon-half dreaming of her blood on its fingertips. Her skin shredded as it devoured her, savoring every moment...

Vergil shook his head, trying to drive the visions out. The demon’s thoughts had grown more wild by the hour, and Vergil could no longer stop it.

_She is a suitable mate. Ours and ours alone. But that’s all she’ll ever be._

She was more than that to him, but not to a demon. Not to the person he once was. 

_Not to a king._

“Vergil.”

He twitched at the sound, but his body didn’t jerk away as he expected it to. Sitting by his side was V, calm and quiet as he too looked up at the throne before them. How he got there, Vergil didn’t know. But when he felt his demon retreat, albeit reluctantly, he was grateful. “She found him,” V said as he met Vergil’s gaze. 

“And?”

V’s expression didn’t change, but Vergil swore he saw his eyes soften just a bit. “You need me more than she does at the moment.”

Vergil lay his head back and stared at the ceiling. “Does she know?”

“She cannot feel your presence.” 

“And you can?”

“I am still a piece of you,” V said. “A piece that may need to return to give you a chance.”

Vergil’s eyes snapped open. “No.” 

V raised an eyebrow. “Why not? She has the familiars to protect her. Her soul is healed. My assistance is no longer required.”

“I won’t…” He flinched at the sharp pain in his head but kept going. “I won’t allow it.”

“You’re losing yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“For how much longer?”

“As long as I need to be!” Vergil snapped. It came out as a roar, and his body lurched in response. He shoved his other half back down, but not before his tail unfurled from his back and his wings came down over his shoulders. “Stay with her,” He said trying to ignore the numbness threatening to take him over. “You’re the only one who can.”

V watched him for a long moment. Vergil thought he might reject that notion outright. Force himself back in. Vergil didn’t know how he could do it, or if it were even possible. But he didn’t have to question it for long, for V simply nodded. “I will return when she needs me.” 

“V…”

He shook his head. “She is safe with the others. I will stall your frenzy for as long as I can.”

Vergil let his head fall to the side as he slumped further along the ground. His muscles were giving out. His breathing was ragged. He was running out of time. But he would keep fighting as long as he had to. He refused to let her or anyone else die for his mistakes. But despite his newfound determination, his voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. 

“Thank you.”

* * *

Ashira didn’t know how long they’d been walking, but it was long enough that she was certain they’d cut through the entire library and come out on the opposite side of the Underworld. If things weren’t so dire - nor her heart so heavy - she might have wondered how Pythagoras moved so fast while waddling in that oversized robe. But her mind kept wandering to Vergil. Wondering where he was and if he was still fighting. She assumed he was, as she was certain his demon would have forced her to its side by now. But Ashira couldn’t know for sure, and it was slowly killing her. 

If his demon did take control… would she be able to bring him back?

“He has not sat on the throne yet,” Pythagoras said as he led her through a series of trees. She’d never been to this portion of the Underworld, and its blue hues and ash-like snow was a far cry from the dry, red place her home had been in. A silver moon hung in the sky, casting an ethereal glow on everything around her. Even Pythagoras seemed to shimmer, but that may be more of his silly crown catching the moonlight than himself. 

“How do you know?” She said finally as she pushed aside a low hanging branch. The trees were flexible here but snapped back to their spots like rubber bands the second she let go. Griffon had come out for about half a second, but quickly retreated when one had snapped into his face when he wasn’t paying attention. Now she just heard him grumbling in her mind, followed by Shadow's gentle purrs. She wasn’t sure who the panther was trying to calm down, but she didn't want to think about it too much. 

“The castle is north of here,” He said, pointing to the right without looking. She had to trust him, as she saw nothing but blue pine needles. “When the Demon King takes the throne for the first time, his power ignites a symbol in the sky announcing his presence. And I can assure you that hasn’t happened yet.” 

Ashira’s heart lurched into her throat. “I need to go to him. I need…”

“No,” Pythagoras’ voice boomed in the silence of the forest. She flinched but begrudgingly looked at him. “You need to understand what is happening here.” He said, a bit calmer this time. “You are the only one his demon might accept.”

“Accept?” She said. “But he already…”

“His human side, yes,” Pythagoras said. “But his demon was born of the Qliphoth fruit. Its rule has never been challenged since Mundus’ death, nor did it have any reason to fight for the throne. Now the Princes are looking for his heart, and he may not think Vergil is good enough.”

“He’s never had issues with his demon,” Ashira said hallowly. “Not since he split himself…”

“Exactly,” Pythagoras said. “But we cannot sit here chatting, girl. If you want to save him and everyone else in this cursed world, we must hurry.” 

Ashira’s response died on her tongue when she stepped into the first clearing they’d had in miles. Twelve bodies hung from the trees similar to the first ones they had found. These, however, were clearly demonic, with human bodies but features of animals and other creatures. A few had horns. Some had tails. Another was covered in fur. Their clothes were lightly torn, just enough to show the holes in their chests. Twelve missing hearts, but their souls were still intact. 

Except they… weren’t. Their flames weren’t moving, as if they were frozen in time. Lines of green were curled up in each one, and the colors were turning gray at the bottom. 

“What do you see?” Pythagoras said. 

Ashira said nothing at first as she summoned a small amount of flame and reached for the closest soul. As her fingers brushed it, the soul turned gray like a stone, before shattering into dust. She lurched back as the skin of the woman turned gray, crawling up to her face before crumbling along with the soul. Multiple, thick green vines erupted from the mound of ashes, but flopped over, dead. Ashira took a deep and shaky breath. “They’re reavers,” she said. _Were,_ her mind echoed, but her throat was too dry to voice it. “How long?”

“Weeks, as far as I’m aware,” Pythagoras said. “But time in the Underworld flows differently.” He kept walking. “Leave the others for now. If there is anything left of their souls after this long, a few more days won’t change it.”

At first, Ashira couldn’t tear her eyes away. They all looked terrified, and she couldn’t help but imagine how they had died. Except, nothing came to her. She couldn’t imagine who, or what, could tear out people’s hearts so cleanly. Or the kind of agony these people were under when it happened. 

Were they alive then? Was that what killed them?

_Could I have saved any of them if I had known?_

“Phoenix,” Pythagoras said. “Now.”

Numb, Ashira followed after him. This time, however, they only went a few feet before stepping out onto a cliff where an ocean of mist hid how high they actually were. “Glasses,” Pythagoras said as he held his hand out. Ashira hesitated, but closed her eyes as she handed them over. When her eyes opened again, darkness had replaced the mist. Instead, among the darkness, she saw leagues of dual-colored souls. She blinked, stunned. “Reavers,” She whispered. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. It was impossible to tell. 

“This is their only safe haven,” Pythagoras said. She felt him tap her arm, and she reached out blindly before he lay her glasses back in her hand. “But that will not be true much longer.” 

After readjusting to her new vision, she looked to him. “Why?”

“More are leaving by the day,” Pythagoras said. “Rumors have spread that reavers are turning on each other. And without a ruler willing to protect them…”

“The other Princes,” Ashira whispered.

Pythagoras huffed, not happy with the interruption, but continued regardless. “They need a king, Ashira. You have to convince him to take that throne. For them. Otherwise, this,” He waved his hand back toward the previous clearing. “Is just the beginning.”

Ashira took a step back, not trusting herself near the edge as the world started to spin. “We killed Mundus almost ten years ago.” She said. “Why now?”

“Reavers have been hunted for centuries,” Pythagoras said. “Mundus’ death and rumors of a Phoenix pulled them back together here, but many are beginning to believe that you don’t exist.”

Ashira reached for a tree, but stumbled. It was Shadow who appeared at her feet, nudging her forward with her snout. Ashira let herself collapse beside the panther, hand pressed against her warm fur. Griffon appeared on her shoulder, but said nothing. Ashira was grateful for their presence alone. “I never knew,” She whispered. Tears stung her eyes. “I should’ve… I could’ve…”

“Enough,” Pythagoras said. “I show you this because of our current predicament. If I had it my way, you’d remain hidden for another few centuries. People would continue to believe in your existence if things weren’t so dire. But your foolish mate made his choice, and you both have to live with it.”

Ashira’s eyes closed. “They need him to take the throne.”

“They need more than that.”

Her eyes snapped open. “What?”

For the first time since they met almost a decade ago, Pythagoras looked at her with something bordering on reverence. Ashira couldn’t quite place what it was. “There is an ancient tradition among our kind,” He began. “When a new Demon King takes the throne, he may allow one person, usually his mate, to partake of his blood, marking them as his equal.” His head tilted as much as it could considering he didn’t have much of a neck. “It is safe to assume that you have never done so, correct?”

“...No.” The thought hadn’t even occurred to her. Or him, for that matter. At least, as far as she was aware. She always thought it was something intrinsic to their demons. He was the dominant one of the two, even if they did occasionally pretend he wasn’t. It didn’t matter. In what little she understood about demon dynamics, the weaker one never drank the stronger one’s blood. If she had asked maybe but…

Her heart ran cold. “It’s not Vergil I’ll have to convince.”

“No, it’s not,” Pythagoras said. “And I doubt his demon will be as attached to you as he is.”

“But he and his demon…”

“Their minds are currently split,” Pythagoras said. “Vergil will not be able to regain control until this matter is settled. Either he takes the throne alone, or with you. There is no alternative”

“Then let him have me,” She muttered. “If that’s the only way.”

“They need someone strong enough to walk beside the King, not under him,” Pythagoras said, gesturing to the hidden reavers below. “They need a Queen, Ashira. They need you _and_ him, or nothing will change.”

* * *

Dante didn’t know what was worse; the fact that Ashira didn’t come back until Midnight, or the sheer look of despair plastered on her face. Nico leapt to her feet immediately, looping her arm through Ashira’s and practically dragging her away. Dante let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as Lir plopped down beside them, Alice asleep in his arms. “She didn’t tell me anything,” Lir said. 

Dante wasn’t surprised in the slightest. “So she found him.” Lir merely nodded as his eyes flickered to Alice. Dante sighed. “No use in staying here then,” He hopped to his feet before spinning around with a flourish as he bowed and held his hand out to Lucia. She stared at him in bewilderment. He didn’t blame her. Most people didn’t understand his ability to remain (or pretend to be) cheerful despite the uncertainty. But her eyes softened a moment later as she let him pull her to her feet. “Our room's on the other side,” Dante said. “Hadn’t planned on having so many guests.”

“We’ll make it work,” Lucia said. “Come on, Lir. The best we can do now is rest.” 

Dante had no intention of sleeping, but he grinned at Lir with a confident thumbs up. “Maybe we’ll even order some pizza! I'm sure someone around here still delivers.”

Lir’s nose wrinkled at that, but he followed them regardless, Alice sleeping soundly against his chest. 

It didn’t take long to reach their room, nor did it take long for Lir to fall asleep once Lucia gave him no other choice. Dante waited out on the balcony, looking over the ocean with a small remnant of his demon power. Not enough to call anything to him - that was probably the last thing he wanted at the moment, even though he was more than eager to murder this so-called Prince - but enough to see further than anyone else could. He frowned as he did so, uncertain of what he was actually seeing.

The glass door opened behind him. “I’ll stay with them if you need to go,” Lucia said. 

Dante shook his head. “I wouldn’t know where to start. Not without whatever Ashira found.” His eyes narrowed. “Is the air sparkling for you too?”

“Yes,” She said. “It's the barrier between worlds…” She held her hand out as if trying to touch the barrier itself. Dante wasn’t surprised when nothing happened. “It’s bleeding into ours.”

“Because of this Prince?”She shook her head. “It was already strained after the Qliphoth tree grew, but Mundus’ presence kept it together.”

Dante sighed. “That’s it then,” He said. “Vergil has to…” His voice trailed off. He didn’t want to say it. Didn’t want to admit that their only way out of this mess was letting his brother go. _Again,_ his mind whispered. 

“Maybe not,” Lucia said as she turned to lean her back on the rail. Dante stared for a few seconds too long, and only looked away when her head turned toward him. “Your father sealed Mundus away.”

“That he did,” Dante said, but his voice was hollow. Is that what he would have to do? Would he have to lock his brother away and keep watch for all eternity? What about Ashira? Would she be abandoned on this side of the void, or trapped with a soulmate that was slowly losing his mind? Would she let herself go if it meant saving Vergil, or would she fight back? 

_She’s not strong enough._

He hated admitting that too. Ashira had grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade. She could spar on almost equal terms with him now, assuming he didn’t stab her. Her demon form wasn’t as strong as his, but it didn’t necessarily have to be. Her magic was stronger than all of them. When she gave it her all, channeled every feather she had, and fought like her life depended on it, she’d put up a fight that Dante knew made Vergil proud. 

But sparring them was different than an actual fight. Spars were calculated and controlled. Dante never fought her with his full strength, and Vergil never strayed too far away. He’d intercepted Dante more than once, sensing Ashira’s loss of strength long before Dante noticed it. If Vergil lost himself - lost that rational, human side that loved her - she wouldn’t stand a chance. 

“I have to find him,” Dante said. 

“And do what?” Lucia said. “Defeating him won’t change the facts,” Her eyes drifted toward the moon. “Unless you intend to take the throne yourself.”

He bristled at that. “I’ll pull him back.”

“You can’t,” Lucia said. “His demon will never be satisfied. It wants to rule, even if he doesn’t. It wants that throne, Dante. And if he doesn’t take it, then someone else will.” She sighed in what might have been frustration. “At least he’s someone you believe in.”

“He’s not in control,” Dante said. He’d fought Vergil’s demon, long back when they’d called it Urizen because hiding the truth was easier than admitting it. And Urizen hadn’t cared about anything. Without Vergil’s human keeping it under control, the demon had nearly torn the world apart. And if Vergil lost control again… if he lost this man he’d become… Dante would have no choice.

“I have to do something, Luce.”

“We will,” She said as her fingers brushed his cheek. He leaned into her, biting back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. “We’ll find the Shade and save your brother. He might still be the king but…” She sighed. “At least he’ll be himself.

Dante hated that defeated look on her face too. 

“You’re right.” He said, forcing the most genuine smile he could. It wasn’t much, and she clearly wasn’t falling for it, but it made him feel better. “We’ll figure this out, knock some sense into Vergil, save the Underworld, then you can come work with me.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Work… with you?”

“Of course!” Dante said as he half slid, half hopped in front of her. “You’re one of best devil hunters I know, and we could always use the help.” He winked at her, ignoring the odd anxiety in his chest. “Who knows,” He said with a shrug. “You might even get me to pay the bills.”

She laughed. “Why am I not surprised.”

“You’ll have to get used to pizza too.”

“Once a week.” She said. “And only if you give me a kitchen to work with.”

“You cook?”

“I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands,” She said. “I might even make you a cake if you’re a good boy.”

Dante chuckled. “No promises.”

She smiled back. “Of course not.”

The two watched each other with relaxed smiles for at least a minute before Dante realized his heart was hammering in his chest. Was this how Vergil felt when he fell in love with Ashira? Or was Dante simply on edge with everything that was going on? He didn’t know, and as he tentatively placed a hand on her hip, he realized he didn’t care. “Afraid I’m all out of roses,” He said. 

“Tragic, truly.” Her fingers ran along the sleeve of his coat with just enough pressure that the leather alone almost made him shiver. 

“I could figure something else out,” He said, pulling her a little bit closer. “Maybe a kiss on the cheek?”

Her answer was a gentle kiss on his cheek that was over before he even realized it was happening. This time, her smile turned coy. “Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “I’ve always been more of a flower girl. Don’t see many of those on the island.”

He brushed his hand through her bangs. “I’ll find you as many as you want.”

“I like that idea.”

Her breath was warm on his lips. He hadn’t realized they’d gotten any closer. His head spun. His heart was racing. Air seemed difficult to grasp, but he managed it anyway. Dante tilted his head with a small smile. “I could come up with something now,” He said. “To tide you over until we get home.”

Her head leaned the opposite way as one of her hands slid over his shoulder. “Now we're talking.”

Suddenly, she gasped in pain, her heart dropping to her stomach. Dante grabbed her in a panic. “Lucia,” He said as he held her up. “What’s wrong.”

“I…” her words were cut by a sharp cry as her knees buckled. He fell with her, making sure she didn’t hit the ground. “I don’t know. Something’s…”

“She’s going to die.”

Dante whipped his head around. Lir stood in the doorway, his eyes downcast, not looking at either of them. “What?” Dante said. 

“The poison,” Lir whispered. “It’ll kill her.”

Dante lurched forward. Claws tore through the boy's shirt as he yanked him forward. “What did you do?”

A tear fell down the teen’s cheek. “What I had to.”

With a roar, Dante threw him back, shattering the glass door between them. He heard Alice shriek, but he didn’t care as he spun toward Lucia and forced his demon away. “Hold on,” He said as he pulled her into his arms. Her eyes turned glossy as her lips hung open. He couldn’t hear her breathing. Couldn’t hear her heart. “Lucia,” He said, shaking her. “Please don’t…”

“You can save her,” Lir’s voice whispered behind him. “If she were to… become a demon arm… then…”

He didn’t want to listen. Didn’t want to trust a reaver that must have killed his own kind. Why else would their souls be missing? But as Lucia slowly died in his arms, he realized he didn’t have a choice. “Lucia,” He said. “Become a Devil Arm for me. You can do that, right?” He recognized the desperation in his voice, but he pushed on anyway. “Please, Luce. I can save us both.” He took her hand into his and pulled her up to press their foreheads together. “I know you can.”

She shuddered, and for a long moment, Dante wondered if she couldn’t hear him. Then her body began to glow. Dante buried his head into her shoulder, feeling for her mind - her soul, he realized - as he had every weapon before her. This wasn’t the same as all the others. He hadn’t defeated her in combat or had any intention of locking her away. And he prayed that feeling was enough. 

He nearly sobbed with relief when she vanished and two, long, curved daggers appeared in his hand. But the second they did, pain shot through every vein in his body. He collapsed forward, heaving nothing as fire burned to his core. Confusion crippled him as the agony only intensified. His demonic side should have quelled it by now. It healed everything. Stabs to the gut. A slice through the heart. Demonic magic. Everything.

Why wasn’t it driving this out?

Why wasn’t he recovering?

A woman’s voice chuckled behind him. “Good,” She said. He tried to push himself up. Tried to throw himself at whoever it was. Or trigger. Or do… anything. But his body crumbled to the ground, disoriented. He heard Lucia’s voice in his mind, but not the words she was saying. “Go, Azalea,” She said. “Stop the girl.” 

“As you wish,” Lir whispered. 

_No._ Dante thought. _Ashira._ His lungs constricted, all air gone. The pain was more than he’d ever experienced before. “The poison has already taken root,” the woman continued. “And it can only be dispelled by one thing.” She chuckled as a hand pressed to his back. “Go, Son of Sparda. Kill your brother, and bring me his heart. Only then will you be free.”

His demon roared within him, but it was more a screech of agony than anything else. _Kill him._ It said, frantic. _We must kill him. We must. We must. Kill…_ The words repeated in an endless, desperate loop. Dante tried to force it down, but it overpowered his senses. The next second, he was falling into the darkness. The woman’s triumphant laughter was all that followed. 

* * *

When Ashira reached her room, she held back a wave of tears. _Of course_ Dante would have thought to get a special room just for her and Vergil. A single, king-sized bed with the softest of comforters, a shower big enough for half a dozen people, a view over the ocean, and a dozen strawberry-scented candles. And she didn’t blame him one bit for it. If everything had gone to plan, Dante would probably be teasing his brother over it right now. But all it did at that moment was drag her to the floor. Shadow appeared, pawing her knees with a concerned purr. 

“Hey Princess,” Griffon said, his voice quiet as he appeared on the floor. “You know it’s gonna be alright, yeah?” Ashira pulled her knees to her chest. Everything within her wanted to say yes, but no words came out. Shadow curled up at her feet, head on her own paws. Griffon hopped onto Ashira’s knee. “Well…” He said. “We’re here for ya. If that means anything.”

A knock on the door pulled her away. “Shy?” Nico said. Griffon titled his head. Ashira just nodded. “Doors unlocked!” Griffon yelled. Ashira didn’t look up. Griffon hopped off her knee and nestled in beside her. She heard the lock click after the door closed, and felt Nico settle in beside her. “Long day, huh?” She said. Ashira nodded. Still, no words came. Her mind was blank and her eyes ached. At least her demon self had fought off the inevitable headache. “It’s okay,” Nico said. Ashira flinched as the woman’s arm landed over her shoulder, but didn’t pull away. “It’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” Nico said. “Because this family of ours always figures this stuff out. This ain’t gonna be any different.” 

“I need to go to him,” Ashira whispered. “I need…” 

“You need to sleep,” Nico said. “And I ain’t leaving here until you do.”

Ashira thought she should scoff at that. Only silence followed. “Come on,” Nico said tugging gently on her arm. Ashira let Nico pull her to her feet as Shadow shifted to the bed. Griffon did the same, landing on the free pillow. “I brought this for ya,” Nico said as she finally coaxed Ashira onto the bed. In her hand was Vergil’s coat, the one she had worn for the sake of his argument. How silly it had been then… 

She bit back another round of tears as she reached for it. Nico pulled it away with a quiet tut. “Blanket only.” 

For a moment, Ashira considered her options. Was she strong enough to leave now? She could go back to Pythagoras, find the throne, talk to Vergil (or, more likely, his demon) and convince him to take it. But would that be enough? 

_They need a Queen._

_They need you._

Slowly, she fell to her side and set her glasses aside. As soon as Nico threw his coat over, Shadow nuzzled against Ashira’s stomach and Griffon next to her head. She let a tear fall again as she closed her eyes. They were warm. They would protect her. He was here… even if he wasn’t. 

_I miss you._

“I’m gonna stay right over here, ‘kay?” Nico said. Ashira heard a chair creak nearby, but didn’t bother looking. Within minutes, Nico’s snores echoed throughout the room. Ashira curled tighter, pulling the coat closer to her skin as she waited in the darkness for sleep to take her. 

Eventually, it was Shadow’s soft purrs that pulled her under, though it was slow and borderline painful. And when her eyes opened again, she was sitting in the grass of their old home, looking over the lake she hadn’t seen in years. Exhausted and numb to the world, Ashira stared out over it, trying to remember what things had been like back then. She would almost call it a “simpler time”, but certainly not fulfilling. Not like their lives were now. 

“I don’t want to lose you.” She whispered. 

And hand rested on hers. “You won’t,” Vergil said softly. 

Tears overwhelmed her. This time, she didn’t try to stop them. She lurched into his arms, expecting to fall right through. But he caught her, hands sliding along the curve of her spine, and pulling her as close to him as he could. “I’m sorry, Vergil,” she said as she buried her face into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice cracked, and she gave up on speaking. 

She felt his lips brush her cheek. “Me too, Shira.”

Her eyes snapped open as she jerked upright. Griffon yelped as he was thrown off the bed, but hopped back up quickly, annoyed but unharmed. Nico was still asleep in her chair, arms flopped over the sides. Ashira took a deep breath and look out the window as she brushed her cheek., He had felt so real… like their dreams always were. Was he sleeping wherever he was? Dreaming of her?

Her eyes drifted back to the moon as her sadness shifted to determined resolve. She had to find him. She had to go back into the Underworld and convince him to take the throne. Convince his demon to accept her. She didn’t know how, but she had to try. 

A surge of demonic power and the roar of Dante’s demon startled Nico awake. Ashira moved on instinct, leaping from the balcony before the woman had a chance to stop her. Griffon swooped overhead as Shadow sprinted a few feet ahead. Ashira reached for her flames as she searched for Dante’s soul. 

Ashira felt Lir before she saw him. She jerked to the left as she threw her feathers up to deflect him. But Lir bulldozed right through, throwing her to the ground. Green vines erupted from the sand, wrapping around her limbs. Ashira shrieked as she tried to yank herself away. The vines tore through her skin as another one shot up around her neck. Blood seeped into the sand as she struggled. The last vine wrapped tighter around her neck. Her vision swam with darkness. Fury swept through her as she let herself fall into darkness. The Phoenix overtook her, burning the vines to dust. She surged forward blindly, reaching for her attacker. A cry of pain echoed back as she slammed the human body to the ground. Her eyes snapped open as she summoned every feather she could. 

She froze when her eyes met Lir’s. His cheeks were red with tears. His lips blue from the lack of oxygen. He stared up at her in a mixture of anger and terror. His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. 

“Ms. Ashira!” 

Ashira jerked backward, dispelling her demon form. Everything went dark as Griffon landed on her shoulder. “Glasses are broken,” He muttered. Ashira didn’t care at the moment, her eyes locked on the two reaver souls in front of her. Lir was alive, but the line of grief on his soul was now a crack that reached in all directions.

“What’s happening?” She said, her voice quiet. “What have you done?”

The crack expanded. His soul would not survive much longer. “I didn’t have a choice,” Lir whispered. “She made me kill my family… made me hang the others…” His voice broke. The crack deepened. “I had to save Alice… I didn’t have a choice.”

“Azalea,” Ashira whispered. 

A sob broke from Lir’s lips, but he said nothing more.


	7. Weight of Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Underworld needs a king, Dante is desperate to protect Lucia, and Vergil’s demon is ready to take the throne no matter the cost. Ashira is caught in the middle, wondering if she is worthy or capable of saving anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhhh yeah. Once this chapter hit 4k words, I realized I'm gonna need one more. 
> 
> Whoops! But I'm still going to have it done before Christmas, because I want to post that story on time too xD
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Vergil felt his brother enter the Underworld from miles away.  _ He comes for us.  _ His demon growled.  _ To kill us.  _ And Vergil might have called that thought absurd if he were capable of thinking through the exhaustion. It was V who dragged him out of the palace and to the empty courtyard outside, and V that held him upright when all he wanted to do was sleep.

His brother crashed down in full demon form and roared. Vergil winced. It was so loud so… not his brother. Was he panicking? Was something wrong? Was Ashira…

“Vergil,” Dante hissed, but Vergil could hear the agony in his voice. “I have to… I need to…” His brother roared as he tore himself backward and reached for his head. His human and demon forms morphed between each other, but Vergil recognized that crazed look in his eyes. “Frenzy,” V muttered. “But why?”

Finally, Dante snapped back to his human-self, forcing himself down to one knee. Two swords were strapped to his back; weapons Vergil had never seen before. “I hate to say it,” Dante forced out through ragged breathing. His eyes flickered between glowing red and his usual blue ones. “But I had hoped to be coming to your rescue, not…” He winced. “This.” 

Vergil felt a surge in demonic power. Dante howled in agony as a portal opened behind him and a woman - no, a demoness with curled horns and sharp nails like claws entered the clearing. She wore a tight, dark purple dress that revealed far too much of her pale skin. “This should be fun,” She said as she put a hand on her hip and gave him a feral grin. “I wonder who will crumble first,” she put a finger on her chin, drawing a small amount of blood. Vergil whipped toward it involuntarily. The smell was atrocious, nothing like Ashira’s, but his demon was desperate to overtake him. A demon woman just might be enough to push him over the edge. 

“Just a little longer,” V said. “She’s coming for you.”

Vergil shuddered. “I can’t wait that long,” he muttered.

“You must,” V said. “She only needs a moment longer.”

Vergil's breathing was shallow, but he pushed himself upright and reached for Yamato. He didn’t know how long he could remain like this, balanced on a knife’s edge between himself and his demon. But V was right. He had to fight the madness. Combat always served that purpose for them both. “Come then, brother,” Vergil said, snapping Yamato out with as much strength as he could muster. Dante eyed him wearily, but Vergil felt both of their demons snap to attention. The exhaustion that had plagued him for days retreated. It would not last long, but it was all he could do. “If you want this,” He motioned towards his chest. “You’ll have to take it.”

_ But you knew that already.  _

Something akin to understanding crossed Dante’s face. He shoved himself to his feet and flipped both swords into his hands. There was no smile on his face, and Vergil was certain he understood. Either Ashira figured out how to save them, or this fight would end in death. At least for now, this was all they could do.

_ If it's a show she wants, it's a show she’ll get.  _

And as Vergil snapped toward his brother, he hoped it would be enough. 

* * *

The first thing Ashira did was drag everyone left in their group to Pythagoras, grateful when Nico handed her a new pair of glasses and didn’t bother to wonder how she knew. Alice was understandably terrified, and Ashira was grateful that Nico had both the strength to carry her and the understanding to try and soothe her as they ran. Lir, however, was silent, and moving him was like dragging a useless, heavy ragdoll. 

But they made it eventually, albeit much too slow for Ashira’s liking. She wasn’t surprised when the entrance in the cave snapped open without her even touching it. One of Pythagoras’ puppets led Nico and Alice to the fireplace as Pythagoras himself beckoned to her from the top of the stairs. “Come on,” She said to Lir. He didn’t speak, nor did he move. Something in her cracked for a brief moment, long enough to channel some fire into her muscles and throw him to the top of the stairs. He winced when he landed; the first signs of life. 

Pythagoras looked at him, before glancing at her. “I see your connection to Vergil is starting to pay off.” 

She teleported to Lir’s side and grabbed his shirt again. “Not the time.” For once, Pythagoras made no comment as he led them back to his office where one of his puppets slammed the door closed. Ashira dumped Lir on the couch and whirled on the elder demon. “Please tell me you have a plan.”

“His brother’s involvement was unexpected,” Pythagoras said.

Ashira’s breath caught in her throat. “He’s here.”

“The two are fighting as we speak.”

Ashira swore under her breath as she whirled on Lir. “What happened?” She said. When he said nothing, her anger only grew. “I’m not playing games, Lir. If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll force it out of you.”

His eyes flickered to hers, but there was no malice; only pain. “I did what I was told.” He murmured. “I planted a bud in the woman’s heart, and activated the poison when I knew he would save her.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” She growled seconds from grabbing him again. She needed to be calm, but even that was fleeting. 

“Azalea,” He murmured. “My mother’s name. I used it when meeting with the Shade. I had the same powers as her, and the Shade only cared for results.”

“Why go to her in the first place?” She said. 

“She promised to protect us,” He said. This time, however, she heard a simmer of anger in his voice. “If our  _ King  _ and his little  _ Firebird  _ couldn’t do it, then we had to figure it out ourselves.”

Ashira restrained herself. Were it up to the furious demon within her, the boy would have been put down for making such an insult. But with Vergil, and Dante to a lesser extent, at the forfront of her mind, she calmed herself. “I understand why you’re upset,” She said. While she didn’t think she and Vergil were entirely to blame for this issue. By demon standards, they were incredibly young. What could they possibly have done to take control of an Underworld which has existed for millennia? Vergil should have known about the consequences of eating the Qliphoth fruit, but it had been a decade. Nothing had happened. No one had come to her or to them. No demon or reaver had ever tried. 

But as much as she wanted to snap at him and defend herself and Vergil, she couldn’t. The agony in his eyes was too familiar. Too similar to the pain of her own past. All she could do was sit beside him and try to figure out what to say through the chaos in her head. “But she's a monster, Lir. She’s killed dozens, maybe hundreds of reavers, and ripped their hearts out. Why would you…”

“She didn’t do anything,” He said quietly. “I did it all, at her request.”

If Ashira were human, she might have vomited. Instead, her flames lurched onto her skin in a fit of pure, animalistic rage. “You murdered and butchered your own people?” She said. “Your own  _ family?”  _

“I am Azalea,” He whispered. “A poison that she… my future Queen promised to use as best she could. But when my family learned the truth…” his eyes closed. “They were horrified. They demanded that we run. Forced me away. Berated me for trusting her. I thought they were being foolish. She promised to protect us once she took the throne. She knew who the king was and she's been working on her plan for years. Why run away?” His hands clenched into fists as tears finally rolled down his cheeks. “She made me kill them. But Iris…”

“Iris?” Ashira echoed. That name was familiar, but she couldn’t recall why, nor did she care to puzzle it out at the moment. Regardless, it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t figure this out. “Who is…”

“My sister,” He interjected. “Half-sister. We used a fake name so that no one would know who she was, nor the power she has.” He was trembling now. “She is the only secret I ever kept. I told the Shade that she was a Reaver like me, but that her powers were weaker. Nothing to worry about. She was away when I killed them… visiting some old woman I didn't know. I'd never been so relieved… she saw nothing, so the Shade let her live.”

"She did know," Ashira said. "She saw everything." 

Lir’s jaw went slack as his eyes opened again. They were blank and distant, but the crack on his soul showed all the emotions it needed to. “How?” He whispered. “I planted them when she wasn’t there… I…”

“She watched them die,” Ashira said. “She watched…” She paused. It was a long shot, but she said, “she watched the plants rip out their hearts.”

At that, Lir broke down and Ashira’s heart sank. She hoped that part hadn’t been true. But Lir’s tears proved her wrong. The poison he controlled, the very one that currently plagued Dante, was not nearly as simple as she had hoped. And she had a terrible feeling that she was running out of time. But Lir was inconsolable. “No.” He cried. “No… She couldn’t have… She… She…”

“Big brother?”

Their eyes both snapped to the doorway where Nico stood sheepishly with Pythagoras’ puppet behind Alice -  _ Iris,  _ Ashira reminded herself. The girl’s arms were wrapped around the Teddy Bear and, while her eyes were sad, she stood tall and met her brother’s horrified gaze. “Your petals are wilting,” she said and her lip started to tremble. “You’re… dying, aren’t you?”

Lir stared at her. “I…”

Iris stepped further into the room. “I…” She choked back a sob, but the tears still came. “I know you didn’t  _ want  _ to hurt them.”

“Iris…”

“I know you just wanted to protect me.”

“It doesn’t…”

“Remember the stories Mama used to tell us?” Iris said. “How the Phoenix used to fly through the Underworld just because he could. And sometimes, he’d even leave feathers for the little boys and girls. The ones who will take good care of the feathers, and show them off so that no one would ever forget.”

“They’re just stories,” Lir said, but his voice broke. “The Phoenix is right here, Iris. And she was never there for us. Not when we needed her.”

“But we always dreamed that one day she would be,” Iris said, tears streaming down her face. “But if she can’t save Mr. Dante… if she can’t save the King... then all the wishes we made…” She sniffled. “The wishes  _ I  _ made with Mama and Daddy and...” Her voice wavered before she finally broke down. Lir was by her side in an instant, catching the girl before she crumbled. He whispered to her, a repeat of promises and regrets. Ashira swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, trying to ignore the prickle of shame in her chest. 

_ She was never there… Not when we needed her.  _

“Don’t bother,” Pythagoras said. “They can blame whomever they wish, but you know the truth.”

She closed her eyes. Images of the bodies - the reavers - who had died in this demon’s tirade flashed across her mind. She imagined Vergil and Dante locked in an endless battle, maybe waiting for her, or maybe accepting that she was long gone. She thought of the reavers she didn’t know, the children who wished for feathers - for  _ hope -  _ that she had never given them. 

But dwelling on the past would accomplish nothing.

“I’m here now,” She said. Both looked up at her, but she knelt to meet Iris’ gaze and held out her hand. Golden light gathered in her palm before solidifying into a perfect feather, like the ones she had made countless times. Both Lir’s and Iris’ eyes widened as she held it out. “I can fix this,” She said. “But I need your help.” She made a point to look at Lir, and was relieved when he held her gaze. His eyes hardened. His jaw clenched, and his shoulders tensed the way they had before. But he didn’t seem to be angry. At least, not at her. “You said Dante is poisoned, right?” He nodded. “How does it work?”

He took a slow, shaky breath before speaking again. “A seed is placed within the soul, harmless if left alone. But if something… or someone triggers it, it seeps into the body, moves through the bloodstream, and eventually lands in the heart.”

“And that’s what tears them out?”

“It's more than that,” he said. “It drives humans crazy, usually killing them outright.” He swallowed thickly. “That one had been a mistake,” He murmured. 

“And demons?”

“The Shade realized that demons can be controlled,” He said. “If you command them to do something, they will feel compelled to obey, no matter the consequences. And if they cannot, or if they take too long, the plant will manifest… and the vines consume their blood, and tear the heart out.”

“How?”

“Its something with her power,” He said. “I never understood, nor did she ever tell me. My job was to… infect those she asked, and she would take care of the rest.” His eyes fell. “I was supposed to infect you, too, but something went wrong.”

Ashira’s eyes widened. “Prometheus.”

Lir nodded. “I’m not sure how, but Vergil took it from you. The Shade thought it would be useful, so it hasn’t been activated, but its presence in the soul makes demons frenzy all the same.”

“Can she activate it?”

“Maybe, but I don’t know what she’s waiting for.” He hesitated. “I think I can reverse it, but…”

Pythagoras scoffed. “The Sparda twins will kill you long before you get close enough.” He looked to Ashira. “But you. You may have a chance.”

“What am  _ I _ supposed to do?” She said.

“Take him as your demon arm,” He said. “Theoretically, whatever he manifests as will be capable of dispelling the curse.”

“Theoretically is not good enough,” Ashira said. “You’re asking me to fight two of the most powerful demons in the world seconds from a frenzy, and you think I’ll be able to hit either of them?”

“They’re not in the best state of mind,” Pythagoras said. “And you will have the element of surprise. All you need is two good hits.”

Ashira bit back a bitter laugh. She wanted to admit the truth.  _ I barely land a hit when they’re going easy on me.  _ But she couldn't. The stakes were too high. She had to fight. No one else could. At least, not anyone who would try to kill them both. “Maybe if I can fight one at a time,” she muttered. 

“Remember who you are, child.” Pythagoras hissed. “You may be young and foolish, but the power within you is not to be trifled with.”

_ You’ve been pulling off of my power for years… why do you doubt yourself now? _

Vergil needed her. Dante needed her. The reavers needed her. No matter the cost, she had to fight. She drew back her emotions and looked to Lir. “Do you know what we are asking of you?”

When Lir didn’t answer, it was Pythagoras who spoke in a huff, “The transformation will kill you. A small price to pay for your mistakes, if I'm honest.” 

“He’s right,” Lir said quietly as he moved Iris onto his lap. Her eyes widened along with Ashira’s. “This is…" He took a deep breath. "I need to do this.”

“Lir…” Iris whimpered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

He pulled her into a somber hug, shutting his eyes so tightly that his tears stopped. “I don’t want to leave you, Iris. But I’ve ruined your dreams once already… this is my chance to fix them.”

Iris buried her face against his shoulder. “Just think,” She whispered. Ashira could hear the pain in her voice, but she didn’t miss the quiet hope radiating off her soul. “You’re going to be helping the Phoenix… You’ll be with a real queen.” She laughed, but it was amidst sobs. “You’re gonna save the world, Lir.”

While Ashira wanted to give them time, she knew they didn’t have much to spare. It was Pythagoras who spoke up. “We don’t have time for this prattle,” He said. “They are fighting for the throne as we speak, and I’d rather not lose our only chance at a real,  _ stable _ , King.”

Lir nodded as he pulled away, planting a kiss on Iris’ head. “Take care of her,” he said as he helped her to her feet and motioned toward Nico. “Please… I…”

“I promise,” Nico said. “You help Shy kick some ass. Your sister will be safe.”

Lir turned to Ashira as he pulled his greatsword off his back and tossed it aside. “Promise me,” He said. “That you’ll… that this...”

Ashira nodded as she held her hand out. “Your soul will be free.” No soul but Vergil and his familiars survived the flames of the Phoenix. But, despite what Lir had done, and no matter his reasoning, she wanted to give him hope; a sign that his life wouldn’t be sacrificed for nothing. 

_ If the world can forgive Vergil, I can forgive you. _

“Vergil will take the throne, and the Phoenix will fly for reavers again.” She said as fire emerged along her fingertips. “You have my word.” 

With a nod, he took her hand. Flames burst over him. He grit his teeth but forced himself to hold her gaze. Behind him, Nico had pulled Iris into a hug, but the girl still watched in quiet acceptance. Suddenly, he vanished, and the fire surged back into her. She felt something click in the back of her mind and assumed that’s what Dante had meant when he once told her that the weapon “is just there now”. She closed her eyes for a moment, placing her hand against her chest. “Pythagoras,” She said. “I need a blade.”

The demon grinned. “I have what you’re looking for.” Ashira raised an eyebrow as he waddled away. “Won’t be as good as his, but it’ll do what you want.” 

“Ms. Ashira?” Iris said. The feather was sitting in her hand, glowing just slightly. “Take good care of him.”

Ashira swallowed her fear and nodded. “I will.”

* * *

Vergil wasn’t losing to Dante. He was losing to himself, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out. His only solace was that Dante was clearly fighting himself too. This kept both of them from killing each other, for now. But they had come miserably close. A stab through the chest. A severed artery. Dante had nearly decapitated Vergil twice. The first strike he jerked away from, the second Vergil had parried. But it was getting messier. If this didn't end soon one of them would die.

The demons were hungry for blood.

His was becoming incessant. 

_ Just kill him. _

_ She’s not coming for you. _

_ She’s worth nothing to us. _

He couldn’t even respond, and that might drive him crazier than the demon's rambling. 

The last time they clashed, Vergil flinched. But so did Dante. This time, however, Dante hooked his foot behind Vergil’s and pushed a bit harder. “Listen to me,” He said, his voice low. The demoness was still watching, but was sitting far up on the unmade palace; close enough to observe, but not enough to get caught in their crossfire. The two had eventually figured out that she couldn’t hear them either, but barking things through the thoughts of demons was nigh impossible.

So, Vergil dug his feet into the dirt and forced himself to pay attention. “We’re running out of time.”

Dante grunted. Vergil could imagine him saying something like  _ No shit, Sherlock,  _ but even Dante’s sense of humor was gone. “If it comes down to it,” Dante said. “I’ll take a hit.”

Alarm should have swept through him, but Vergil felt nothing. Of course not. His demon was far beyond such pesky things like human emotions. But he managed to growl at Dante instead. “What?”

“Whatever that bitch put in Lucia is killing me,” Dante said. “I can feel it.” His eyes snapped to his demon’s. Vergil yanked himself back seconds before his third impalement, and knocked Dante away with a dozen summoned swords. Pain shot through him. He grabbed at his chest as the world spun for far too long. His muscles were screaming. His demon was furious. His emotions were gone. And as his brother charged for what felt like the hundredth time, he barely found the strength to lift Yamato. 

A burst of flame crashed down between them. Golden flames encircled Vergil as he hit the ground, absorbing some of the impact. The flames dulled the remainder of his senses. “Shira,” He said. She’d already triggered - he didn’t know how he hadn’t sensed it - but her feathers were a dark blue instead of gold. On her back was a long staff he had never seen before. Its center was a blend of gold and white before fading to light green near the ends. The top looked like a three-petaled, red and gold bulb that had yet to bloom. A much smaller version was fashioned to the other end. Glittering emeralds were made to resemble leaves. A demon arm certainly, but his connection to her was too weak to discern any more details about it. 

“Welcome to the party, Shy,” Dante said, wincing as he forced himself back to his feet. “I’m afraid this may not be the best time for you to join in.” When he tried to push past her, clearly not of his own volition, two vines erupted at her feet. Both cracked against his chest, throwing him backward. He hit the ground hard, and his voice erupted in some strange combination of a groan and a laugh. “I’m getting a strange sense of Deja Vu."

“V,” Ashra said, her voice even as she tossed a sword without looking back. Vergil’s eyes widened when his other self caught it.  _ Yamato?  _ V examined it with a curious look in his eyes Then, he smirked as he unsheathed it and glanced at Vergil.

“Well, well.” He said. “This is an interesting scene.” He ran his fingers along the blunt side of the blade. 

“I am a piece of you,” He said. “Same soul. Same memories. Same power, or near enough.” His form shifted, and Vergil could barely remember the last time V had done this. “So maybe,” He said, his voice and appearance shifting to Vergil’s own. “The throne will accept me instead.”

That was absurd. Vergil knew it.

But his demon could not see reason.

He never thought he’d be happy with his demon’s own stupidity. 

V shot by him without a second glance. Vergil’s demon lurched within him, but he forced his eyes to Ashira. She still hadn’t looked back. Still wasn’t moving. Shadow manifested at her feet with a low growl. Griffon chuckled. “Well then, big guy.” The raven said. “We might actually win this time.”

“Interesting rematch,” Dante said. “Not quite fair for you, but it looks like I don’t have much of a choice.”

What was her plan? She couldn’t fight Dante like this. V couldn’t fight him. 

_ I love you, Vergil.  _ She said as she reached for the staff. The bulbs bloomed into a set of five, crimson and gold petals. Golden light and blue fire radiated from the staff, infusing the vines at her feet. Her voice shifted back to one they’d all understand. “Better hurry,” She said. “V might just be right.” 

_ Trust me.  _

As Vergil forced himself to his feet, he pulled on the limited human strength he had left. 

_ I love you. _

Her smile was more than enough.  _ Go. _

Finally, he let himself go. His trigger shot through him like lightning. His demon half rushed after V with a furious roar. 

The Shade’s low chuckle echoed in his head, but she said nothing more. 


	8. New Empire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Ashira fights for Dante’s soul, but it may be too late to save Vergil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of my "two-for-one Christmas Eve special"! The epilogue will be up in an hour or two ^^
> 
> Enjoy!

Dante wanted to be proud.

Really, he did.

But his damn demon wouldn’t shut up long enough to let him be. 

“You’ve come a long way, Shy,” He said, but his lungs burned with the words alone. _She is in the way._ His demon growled. “Remember when the Phoenix refused to fight me without Vergil’s permission? Primal obligations and all that shit.” He stood up straighter and forced a lazy grin. “Now look at you! Confident and menacing… you could give Vergil a run for his money.” 

That got a small smile, more than he or Vergil’s demon halves could pull off. But she didn’t move, floating a few inches off of the ground with her gold and blue wings crackling with her fire. Feathers were wrapped around her body like makeshift clothes, and her long tail feathers seemed brighter than normal, as if they were made of pure gold and glittering sapphires. He wondered if her form was changing, or if she was just pushing herself to the limit. “I don’t suppose you could surrender and get this over with?” Ashira said. 

His demon roared. Dante flinched. “I wish I could,” Dante said. “Afraid this moron in my head ain’t letting me.”

“It was worth a try.” She said. Then, her wings extended, fire burst at her fingertips, and she shot at him, all in a matter of seconds. He jerked out of the way and swung back. She flipped over the first dagger, teleported through the second, and launched into the air. Feathers rained down from all directions. He dodged through them, ignoring the few that sliced his skin. Griffon swept in from time to time, but dodging his electric strikes wasn’t too difficult. The bird’s voice was grating on his ears, however, and his demon had swiped at him at least twice if only to shut him up. He’d missed both times, and Griffon had been happy to mock him over it. 

Avoiding Shadow was moderately more challenging, as she bent her form on a whim and predicting her was impossible. He focused more on blocking her with summoned swords and trying to take out their mistress. Ashira spun once and feathers shot into his back, throwing him off balance. He triggered before he hit the ground, inceriating her feathers before charging himself. He swung to the right. She dodged to the left. He threw summoned swords at her feet. She darted upward, batting them out of the air with her feathers. She landed. He dove back at her as she slammed the bottom of her staff against the ground. Half a dozen vines erupted at her feet, batting him away. Two shot at him, be he grabbed both and ripped them from the ground. 

_Kill her._ His demon hissed. 

_She is in the way._

_Killkillkill..._

Agony surged through his veins like lightning. But it only half propelled his demon forward. Daggers clashed with her staff, and he saw Ashira wince as she slipped backward more than a few feet. “Whatever you’re planning on doing,” Dante forced out as they collided again. “I suggest you do it soon.”

“I’m trying,” She hissed. “But you’re not being very helpful.”

“Vergil would say I’m like that all the time.”

“I’m inclined to agree.” A barrage of feathers slammed into him as she shoved him back before teleporting away. Soon the area was filled with nothing but feathers, summoned swords, vines shooting in all directions, and seemingly endless amounts of fire. To her credit, most of her strikes hit. The vines were a nuisance, but most seemed more determined to slap him back than do any damage. Every once and a while, she dove at him, staff extended, but he’d always move out of the way and swung back, forcing her to teleport away and start their awkward dance all over again.

And the Shade was still watching from the rooftop. Wise of her, Dante supposed. She clearly didn’t think she could handle Vergil alone, or she wouldn’t have forced him to do it. Or maybe she hoped they’d all just kill each other. Either way, it seemed that she had grown bored of their struggle and walked into the palace, presumably to watch the other fight progress. 

But maybe if he could figure out Ashira’s plan… he could trick his demon into helping. It was a long shot, but it had to be better than hopelessly flying around until he inevitably killed her. 

Or she killed him. Who knew at this point. Whatever was in his system was clearly messing with his endurance, as exhaustion was already setting in and he had fought much longer battles before. And she’d been able to spar with both him and Vergil for at least a year now. Maybe killing him was the only option. And if he did die…

_The staff, Dante._

His eyes widened as he dodged another strike. Lucia’s voice was quiet, but it was the first time he had heard her since she’d transformed. He tried to reach for her - maybe if he could desummon the swords she’d be free and safe - but he swore she retreated further into his head. _She needs to hit you with it._

“How do you know?” He said aloud. A vine smacked into his chest, but he instinctively dodged another blast from the staff. Ashira’s brows were furrowed now, though he wasn’t certain if it was pain, exhaustion, or annoyance. 

_Why else would she be relying so much on a weapon she had never used?_

Made sense. If his mind wasn’t a convoluted mess he may have realized it sooner. But was there a way to trick himself into getting hit by it? 

Suddenly, Ashira cried out and grabbed at her arm as she teleported away. Dante managed to halt himself, much to his demon’s fury. “What’s wrong?”

“V,” She said. “I’m running out of time.” A cry of frustration erupted from within her before she launched herself again in pure desperation. _Shit._ Dante thought. Desperation meant mistakes, and he doubted his crazed other self would miss any. 

_Unless you make one of your own._

Dante flipped backward and tried to laugh. It didn’t work, of course, but it didn’t matter anymore. “Better be ready, Shy!” He roared. “You won’t have much time!” He leapt toward her, pulling both of Lucia’s dagger’s back. Panic settled on Ashira’s face as she beat her wings in an attempt to dodge. Dante swung down before she could. The daggers embedded in the ground, narrowly missing her. In the seconds it took his demon to rip them out, a blast of golden light slammed into him. His chest exploded in anguish. His muscles went limp. His demon went silent as he toppled backward. “Dante!” Lucia appeared beside him in an instant, one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. He tried to look at her, but all he could do was stare blankly at the sky as he waited for whatever was eating him away to finish the job. 

Then, the pain vanished as quickly as it had come. 

He gasped in shock as he lurched upright. Lucia threw herself into a hug, and he swore he heard a quiet sob before he hugged her back. “Don’t you dare do that again!” She shouted, but she only pressed her face further into his shoulder. 

“Sorry, Lucy,” He said. “Didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“The poison is gone,” Ashira said, but her eyes were locked onto the staff in her hand. The petals had retreated, and no energy flowed through it. “As is the root used to make it.” She put it on her back, solemn. “Head east from here. Stick to the trees and you’ll find a demon who will begrudgingly let you pass. Nico and the others are waiting.”

“Wait,” Dante said as he tried to stand. His legs wobbled beneath him, and Lucia was the only reason he didn’t hit the ground. _Fuck._ “I can’t abandon Vergil.”

“You have to go, Dante.” She said. “They need you.”

 _Our family._ He thought. Unless she was talking about humans in general, there was no one else she could be talking about. But that meant…

“We’re all leaving together,” He said. 

Ashira shook her head. “I don’t know when we’ll see you again.”

He felt Lucia tug on his wrist. They had expected this, so why did it hurt so badly? Why couldn’t he accept this? “The kids won’t be happy,” he said, but his voice was hollow. Nero might kill him in Vergil’s place. But what else they could do? 

“I will take care of him,” Ashira said. “And we will find a way to come home. I promise.”

He glanced at the staff. “Does he have this poison too?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s not working.”

She shook her head again. “It shouldn’t take long to recharge.”

“Shy…”

“Take care of them, Dante.” She said. While her face showed no emotion, he saw the sadness in her eyes. He heard the pain in her voice. He knew she didn’t want this. None of them did. “And Iris. She needs a family, however you can manage that.”

“Iris?”

“Alice,” Ashira said. “Iris is her…” She trailed off and her eyes widened slightly. “Promise me you’ll take her to Kai.”

“What?”

“Please, I don’t have…”

“Only if you promise to take care of him,” Dante said. “And promise to smack him for me for being so stupid.” Hell, why was he getting so emotional? They were both more than capable. He’d have to trust them. “Scratch that. Give him a hug, but tell him to imagine me punching him instead.”

Ashira smiled sadly. “Promise,” she glanced at the palace. “She’s in there.”

“The Shade.”

“Go, Dante,” She said. “I _will_ save him.”

He moved past Lucia and gave Ashira a bear hug, ignoring both her surprise and the blue flames she hadn’t been able to stop. “I know.” Then, he grunted as his knees buckled again. Both women caught him, and he burst into laughter. “That’s some pretty good poison.”

“Come on,” Lucia said as she helped him to his feet. When his arm left Ashira’s shoulder, she walked away. “You can take a nap when we get home.” Dante glanced back at his sister-in-law with his heart in his throat. “They’ll be okay.” Lucia whispered. “Don’t give them something else to worry about.”

Slowly, he nodded and let her lead him away. 

* * *

_“Don’t worry, my king. You don’t have to kill her._

_Just be the man she knows you as._

_Then, once I’ve shown her the futility of her struggle, make me your queen._

_Then the throne will be ours._

_And ours alone.”_

* * *

By the time Ashira found Vergil, V was long gone. Likely defeated by Vergil’s demon, as she could feel him resting somewhere in the back of her mind. The fake Yamato had shattered, as was expected. Both had done what she needed them to. Now it was her turn. Assuming Azalea would work again. The possibility that its’ healing powers might be a one-time use hadn’t occurred to her. Though she also expected to fight Vergil the second she walked in the door. 

So, when she found Vergil’s demon kneeling at the bottom of the stairs- and _not_ on the throne - with his eyes on the door, everything she had planned went right out the window. Either the Shade had already activated the poison and she’d be dead a few steps in, or he was still holding on. Somehow.

Standing around gawking at him wasn’t going to answer either of those questions.

“Vergil,” Ashira said. The demon’s head tilted, but it didn’t respond. Ashira could feel her trigger waning, but she had to wait. Distracting Vergil’s demon was her best chance, and it wasn’t interested in Ashira. But it was interested in the Phoenix. She hoped she could work with both of them. “It’s been a long few days, hasn’t it?” She said as she moved toward him. While she tried to stride with confidence, she couldn’t ignore how tense her muscles were. But when he didn’t move, beyond a flick of his tail, she let out quiet breath. 

Ashira swore she heard something like a sigh. “That it has.”

So he was still there. Maybe not fully, but enough to respond. When she moved closer, the demon twitched, but his gaze never left hers. The silver glow in his eyes accentuated his sharp pupils and was brighter than Ashira had ever seen him before. The air crackled with energy, much more so than it had around Dante. A decade ago, Ashira would have struggled to approach him, much less call herself his equal. But they had been partners for long enough that her demon no longer felt subservient. Still, she still moved slowly, kneeling before him as she reached out and pressed her palm to his chest. He flinched but didn’t move away. “Your brother’s gone.”

“I know.”

“I told him he might not see us for a while,” She took a deep breath before her voice cracked and moved her hand to his cheek instead. He tilted into it, his eyes flickering to blue for a brief moment. “They need us.” 

That time, he growled at her and his wings extended. An attempt to threaten her, maybe. But it was half-hearted at best. “We do not need them.”

“One cannot rule without subjects.”

The second time he flinched, she was certain it was actually Vergil. But Ashira continued. “I don’t want this either,” she said. “At least, not in a selfish way. But if not you, then who else?” She pressed her fingers along the inside of his wing toward his back. “I wish I could fix it. Whisk you away to live on an island somewhere and let someone else sort this out.” He huffed, and she couldn’t help but smile for a brief moment. “But this… this is…”

“A consequence,” He said. 

“Yes. But we have an opportunity to make the best of it.” She said. A prickle of energy radiated off of Azalea. _Just a little more time._ “Think of all the good we could do for these people. We won’t be trapped here forever.”

His eyes narrowed. “That world will never be our home again.”

“I know that,” She whispered. “But that’s okay. We’ll make it work. Our family will understand.” She shifted back to his cheek as she reached for Azalea. His eyes flickered to it, but, again, the demon didn’t move. Ashira leaned in, pressing her forehead to his. She felt his tail slip behind her back, pulling her closer as she moved the staff between them. A clawed hand rested at her waist. The flower bloomed. “Hold on,” She said. “It’ll be over soon.” The staff began to glow. She saw the gold and green vines of light reach for his soul. It wasn’t a rush like Dante’s had been, but it didn’t need to be. A flower in his soul began to take shape...

Her power dispersed in an instant as a dagger plunged through her shoulder. 

Ashira screamed as she reached for it in a panic. Vergil’s tail tossed her away. The second she hit the ground, a second blade pierced her back. That time, Vergil lurched forward, clearly caught between something. But he grabbed his chest, roaring in agony. The light faded from his soul. _No._ She thought. That should have been...

An amused chuckle echoed through the room as the Shade stood over here with wild eyes and a feral grin. “How unfortunate,” The demoness purred as she pressed down on the blade in Ashira’s stomach. She bit back a cry of pain, but she could not stop the whimper that left her lips. “And you were so close.”

Then she rose, eyes locked on Vergil. “She is simply a toy for your use, my king. I will be a much better queen for you.” She grinned at Vergil as his eyes turned glossy and his demon form retreated, leaving behind a man in tatters. “She is nothing compared to us.”

Ashira tried to look in Vergil’s eyes. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. His hair had fallen over his eyes, and the remainder of his face was devoid of emotion. _No,_ she thought. Was she too late? Had something gone wrong? She was certain Azalea's magic had saved Dante… why hadn’t it worked on Vergil? Had it not been enough power? She tried to reach for his thoughts, but a void of silence came back. The tether was barely more than a shimmer between them. Ashira reached for him, but the Shades heel stabbed through her wrist. Another scream echoed through the palace. One that Ashira barely registered as her own. 

“Please,” She whispered. “I don’t care what happens to me. But you can’t listen to her.. You can’t…”

“Quiet!” The Shade screeched, twisting her heel. That time, the pain made Ashira lightheaded, almost dulling the sensation. She could feel her blood trailing along her arm, a crimson pool forming on the floor. The Shade’s eyes snapped back to Vergil’s. “You _will_ choose me as your queen. You have no other choice.”

She tilted her head with a cruel smile as Vergil stopped before her. “I know your dreams,” she whispered. “Your thoughts… your desires.” Ashira’s heart lurched in fury when the woman brushed his chin, but she could barely form a coherent thought, much less protest. “I’ll make them a reality… everything you want...” She leaned in, her lips close to his. Ashira tried to summon any flames she could, but nothing came to her. 

She’d been _right there_ , and she’d failed.

So _close_.

_Vergil._

_I love you._

The sharp sound of a sword was all she heard before Yamato plunged through the Shade’s chest. 

The demoness’s eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open in shock. She tried to speak, but only blood came out. Vergil swept his hair back with a look of pure contempt. “You are **_nothing_ ** to me,” Yamato ignited. The demoness shrieked, but it was cut short as he cleaved her form cleanly in two. He took Ashira in his arms before the Shade's ashes hit the floor. He drew out some of her own fire, soothing the wounds. “Rest,” He said. “You’ve done enough.” 

The tether burst back into existence as a million thoughts filled her head, though she wasn’t quite sure which thoughts were whose anymore. “Vergil,” Ashira whispered. He was silent, but she didn’t miss how his arms pulled her closer, or the way his breath hitched when his eyes fell on her shoulder. “Is he…?” 

“Gone,” Vergil said. “Our minds are no longer separated.”

Tears of relief stung her eyes as exhaustion swept through her. “It worked.”

“Yes.”

Vergil’s arm wrapped around her as he gently eased her upward, laying her head against his shoulder. “Go on,” He said as he tilted his head away. His skin and muscles were pulled so tautly that Ashira saw the blood flowing beneath it. His heartbeat pounded in her ears as if it were the only sound in existence. She felt the Phoenix stir within her expressing something akin to amusement. But she was exhausted. Her body ached and her wounds were still open. Considering all the blood on the floor, she was surprised she hadn’t passed out yet.

“Ashira,” Vergil spoke, his voice calm. “Partake of my blood, and become my queen.”

Finally, she found the strength to pull on the last of her demon form. In a rush, she lurched forward. Her mind went blank as she bit down on his neck. Vergil grunted, but she barely heard it over the Phoenix's cries of excitement ringing in her mind. Blood rushed over her tongue, and she was surprised to find that it was… sweet. Like forbidden nectar that flowed so freely for her, and her alone. Her demon relished in it. She _relished_ it as strength flooded her muscles. She felt prickles of pain where the Shade had stabbed her, followed by a searing, but soothing warmth as the wounds closed 

After what felt like a blissful eternity, Vergil’s voice reached her ears again. “That’s enough,” he whispered. Her human self snapped back to awareness and she pulled away, planting a gentle on the already healed wound in a halfhearted apology. She felt a chuckle rumble in his chest, but he said nothing. When he finally looked back at her, all Ashira could do was stare. His eyes were glowing a silvery-blue, and his pupils were slits like his demon's. His lips brushed hers, and she felt an overwhelming amount of affection between them. “Yours are too,” He said. She tilted her head, and he continued. “One blue, one gold, as they should be.”

She curled against him with a smile on her face. “Go on,” she said with a nod to the throne. “It’s waiting for you.”

He hummed in agreement as he lifted her. Despite his clear exhaustion, he strode up the steps with pride. _Acceptance,_ Ashira realized. And despite what it meant for the both of them, she was happy to see it. At least they had a purpose after all this mess, even though her heart ached at the thought that she may not see their family again.

“We will,” He said. “In time.”

She nodded, but said nothing as he finally claimed the throne. 

The world burst to life. Blue fire surged from them both, a mixture of Ashira’s flames and Vergil’s own power. It burned the walls and reformed them into impossible shapes. A dragon statue on one side, a phoenix on the other, both with wings stretched wide, as if preparing for battle. Stained glass windows of various colors appeared, each one with different images. “Our family,” Ashira said. Vergil said nothing as his hand slid up her back and adjusted her more comfortably across his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the fire shot upward. “Vergil,” She whispered. “Look.”

The fire pulsed through the hole in the ceiling and outward into a pair of wings - one of his, and one of hers, illuminating the sky. _So that’s what Pythy meant._ She thought with a smile. As they dispersed, a glass window filled the void with the exact symbol, glittering in the moonlight. 

She felt Vergil’s lips brush her forehead. “We have to stay,” She said and, with a small amount of hesitation, added, “we have a lot to do,” Though she doubted she could even walk at the moment. 

"It can wait,” He said. 

While his voice was confident, Ashira felt the twinge of sadness he was trying to hide. She caressed his cheeks and gave him a tender kiss. He responded in kind, and as she gently drew her fingers along the back of his neck, she finally felt his muscles relax. _“Rest, Saina.”_ She whispered. _“I’ll be here when you wake”_

 _“I know.”_ He murmured. A long few minutes later, he finally nestled his head in the crook of her neck as his eyes drifted shut. 

An annoyed huff pulled her attention away. She felt Vergil’s eyes open again, but he didn’t move. Pythagoras watched them both with a look of pure disdain. “Thousands of demons are on their way,” He said. “And seeing their new king asleep on his throne will be a terrible first impression.”

Vergil growled, but Ashira stopped any true response with a gentle kiss.“Would they accept their queen instead?”

She swore she saw Pythagoras smile, but he turned before she could confirm it. “As long as he can sit still and look presentable, I will make it work.”

Ashira blinked. “You?”

“Of course,” He said as he waddled away. “That is what the Prime Chancellor does, after all.”

Ashira stared at him. Vergil’s hand grabbed her wrist as he pulled her back. “Let him go,” He muttered. “Not much we can do about it now.”

Ashira chuckled as she slid back into his lap and lay his head back where he clearly wanted it. “Prime Chancellor,” She echoed. “Think he came up with that on his own?”

“Might as well call himself the King.”

“Maybe he’ll let us use the library more often.”

Vergil huffed, and Ashira was certain she heard a very annoyed, “you presume too much, Phoenix” echo from the hallway beyond. “Sleep for now,” She said. “I’ll be here.”

“You’ve been my queen for all of five minutes and you’re already issuing commands,” He said with a tired, but amused smirk.

“Five minutes?” She scoffed. “Vergil, I’ve been your queen for a decade at least. This is just for everyone else.” 

He glared at her, but there was no malice in his eyes. Instead, he just nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes again. She brushed through his hair absentmindedly as her gaze drifted to the sky. “Please don’t do this to me again,” She said quietly. “I know I’m not your brother, and I can’t always take down the biggest demons, or handle the most stress… but…” When she looked back at him, she almost shied away from the steely blue eyes that stared back. “But we’re a team, okay? I promise I’ll be stronger… I won’t let you down again.”

“Enough,” He said. “Do not belittle yourself.”

“But…”

“You’re the strongest woman I know,” He said. “If this is to be my penance, I am content knowing it is with you.”

"... you better be talking about that throne." 

Vergil laughed, but said nothing else. Eventually, sleep claimed him. Ashira sighed with a tired smile as she leaned in, content to listen to the quiet pulse of her husband's heart. 


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s the worst that could happen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit later than I intended, but here it is! 
> 
> My next four-ish planned stories are all fluffy. Got a few Vergil/Ashira requests (which will be in story collection soon!): one Dante and Vergil, and one with a good chunk of the family, so stay tuned for those!
> 
> Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy ^_^7

It took a month to deal with the remainder of the demon “princes”. Ashira joked that they just wanted a glimpse of the elusive Phoenix, but that had only given Vergil a reason to deal with them more quickly. It had then taken five months to locate the displaced reavers who hadn’t known of their new haven, and another six months to organize the city and set in place the structure of a productive society. 

Their little underground city had become a metropolis that wouldn’t be out of place in the human world. Except this one was fueled by hundreds of types of reaver demon magic that Vergil had honestly never considered might exist. Now, Eternum - a name which Ashira and Vergil had “argued” over for at least three months before Pythagoras proclaimed it as such - was everything the reavers here needed, and so much more. 

And yet, a day didn’t go by that Vergil didn’t long to see his family again.

On this particular morning, he had intended on staying in bed as long as possible, even though sleep was fleeting. Ashira had caught up to it, but only barely. It helped that Vergil had spent the last hour absentmindedly drawing circles along her arms for no other reason except that he could and he knew she enjoyed it. It was moments like these during which his mind wandered the most. And he gladly would have let it, were it not for the very obvious thump on their balcony. Ashira twitched, awake as ever, but made no effort to move. So, Vergil, ever the chivalrous gentleman, threw on one of his older jackets, and slipped outside to glare at the new arrival.

“Pythagoras,” Vergil said, his tone short. 

“Your highness,” Pythagoras said with an equally scornful edge. The two had developed something akin to respect for one another. This didn’t mean either of them really enjoyed the other's company, however. Vergil had a demon form to rival his father’s. Pythagoras had 4000 years of demonic traditions and politics under his belt that Vergil’s extensive research couldn’t compare to yet. Though, Vergil intended to remedy this gap in knowledge within the next century. 

“Why are you here?”

“Christmas is two days away.”

Vergil raised an eyebrow. Christmas was not celebrated in the Underworld. At least, not in the traditional, human way. There weren’t any real seasons in the Underworld, as the weather depended on their location. The palace was located near the center of the demon realm, ensuring that Vergil or Ashira could travel to any corner of their kingdom with relative ease. The city itself, however, was in a colder place. Somewhere snow fell nearly every day. While it was harsh and unforgiving (but where in the Underworld wasn’t?) it had proven the perfect place to settle in to. Those demons who chose to attack the city instead of Vergil directly either died in the snow or were shot down from miles away. 

Besides, the reavers were more than happy to find reasons to celebrate. One of the early ones had been the “Renewal Festival”, which consisted of a two-week-long open market of artwork and other goods. This was the celebration that took place on what they all collectively guessed was Ashira’s birthday. They were off by about six months, but Ashira never corrected them. Then there was King’s Day which consisted of several festivities, from parades to gladiator-style battles and everything in between. It was one of the few times of the year that he went into the city for an extended period of time, but he kept Ashira close by to introduce him to the people she knew that he didn’t. Vergil had even heard of entire boroughs gathering for anything from birthday parties to anniversaries. 

Besides, three human Christmases had passed since Vergil had taken the throne, and Pythagoras hadn’t mentioned any of them. “Interesting,” was all Vergil could think to say.

“I was able to reopen the door to the other side this morning.”

That got Vergil’s attention. The barrier between the worlds had been restored to the point that even Yamato couldn’t cut through it, all before Vergil had woken from his first hour of rest as King. All of Pythagoras’ doors had quite literally exploded, and it had taken months for his puppets to clean up the mess. And while Pythagoras claimed that he had plenty to do while “keeping Sparda's-spawn from destroying the place”, Vergil knew he had been trying to re-open the doors. The scholar's curiosity could not be sated. But he hadn’t heard of any progress. 

He swallowed that odd prickle of hope that bloomed in his chest. “And?”

“The kingdom will survive a few days without you.”

Again, Vergil tried to let go of his hope. “People will know if we leave.”

“And you have given them everything they need to protect themselves,” The demon continued. “I, and the rest of your advisors are more than capable of handling anything that might come up.” Advisors was a bit of a loose term. All of them had started as reavers Pythagoras trusted, but Vergil had never really known any of them before Pythagoras announced them. There was one in particular, whom he hadn’t been too keen on letting in. Morpheus. The elder dream-reaver was more of a royal therapist than an advisor. And his Soulmate, Priscilla, had taken a shine to Ashira, and was essentially her personal aide. For as much as Vergil loved his wife, he was the last person capable of noticing when she hadn’t bothered eating in a week. Of course, that meant Priscilla got on to _him_ just as often, since Vergil tended to forget about the same tasks Ashira forgot. For example, he couldn’t remember if they had eaten dinner last night. But she was a kind woman at heart, and centuries older than both of them combined. So, at least for now, he let it slide. 

“There is something else you want.”

“As always,” Pythagoras said. “There are more reavers out there, many who left after Mundus died. None of them will be able to cross the barrier, and I cannot track them down myself.”

“That would take more than a few days.”

Pythagoras glared at him. “Do you not understand the concept of a door, _your highness?”_

It was Ashira’s quiet chuckle that drew his eyes away. She was still in her blue nightgown, but was already braiding her hair back the way she always did at the start of a long day. She’d given up on glasses within a year, something Vergil didn’t particularly mind. The ethereal nature of her eyes was always more interesting to look at, in his humble opinion. While she contained her excess energy in the city, she rarely did so in the palace, and certainly not around him. Soft glowing Phoenix eyes had become her trademark among the others that lived with them. “Christmas, huh,” she said as she looked up at him with a wide smile on her face. Even so, Vergil didn’t miss the hesitation from her soul; a perfect mirror of his own concerns. “We’ll have to discuss it.”

Pythagoras huffed, more than aware of the subtle dismissal. “You have twenty-four hours,” he said as he waddled past them. Vergil might never know why Pythagoras didn’t just leave the same way we he had come in. In fact, he wasn’t really certain how he had gotten on the balcony in the first place. “Don’t _discuss_ it for too long.” 

The door to their bedroom closed and Ashira let out a tired sigh. “I know demons aren’t accustomed to the idea of sleep, but you’d think he’d respect our quiet time at the very least”

Vergil scoffed. “Impossible.” She giggled as her arms wrapped around his waist, close enough that he kissed her forehead. Things had changed between them over the last few years. Or, more accurately, things had changed within Vergil after he’d first sat on that throne. Disregarding Ashira’s title as “his queen” (which had clearly changed his demon’s opinion of her), he’d felt… different around her. Early on, he hadn’t understood why. He had observed the subtle shifts in how they behaved around each other. It took much less effort for him to be open with her and he'd often felt determined to seek her out, especially after spending hours dealing with everyone else in their growing empire. This was good for both of them. Dealing with their subjects was very taxing, and they often sought time alone together to decompress. 

He used to have to remind himself on a semi-regular basis to be affectionate. Now it just came naturally, sometimes without him even noticing. And he found he didn't mind it. Although, there were times when he was caught staring at her when he really should have been doing something else. 

But he'd caught her staring at him just as often. And he was more than aware of the unspoken competition between them. An odd battle of wills driven by a desire to just be together when thousands of other people demanded their attention on a daily basis. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) for Vergil, Ashira was quite good at these "secret touches", usually along his back or shoulders that were so light he wouldn’t notice until seconds after she had already moved on. Once, she had even managed to kiss him in front of an entire crowd of advisors and other workers, and not a single person had noticed. It was as if she had been nothing more than a spirit in the wind. Meanwhile, if Vergil even _thought_ about something similar, someone- usually Pythagoras who would happily pop out of the damn _walls_ if there was an opportunity to mock Vergil- _always_ caught him. And, as much as he disliked admitting it, Ashira was currently up two points, and had been so for at least a week. 

He didn't mind, though. Their relationship had evolved into something akin to young love. A welcome, steady passion that had been reignited by what they had gone through, and rekindled by everything they were dealing with now, together.

Eventually, Vergil had figured out that he simply _cherished_ her more than he had before. In hindsight, the temporary detachment from his demon, and the real fear that he might never get it back, had refocused him on what mattered most. It had been as a result of his decisions that he had ended up on the throne. But it was thanks to her constant and steady presence that it was tolerable. 

It helped that their more subtle strengths complimented each other. He could deal with the stress of advisors (as stress wasn’t something he rarely felt anymore) and any demon issues that the town’s guard couldn’t handle. She went to the people themselves, and had spent countless hours and days rebuilding trust in the Phoenix. Vergil knew that hadn’t been an easy task. Most of the reavers her were either children raised on fairy tales of a Phoenix they had never met, or centuries older who had been abandoned by her father. But she had proven herself capable, and most of them respected Sparda, so they’d gained the people’s respect together, allowing her to spend more time on long-lasting projects, while he dealt with the issues of the moment. 

Years ago, Dante had said Vergil and Ashira would be “an unstoppable force of nature if you really wanted to be”. And, as much as Vergil disliked when his brother was right, a part of him wished Dante were here to see it. 

A gentle press of her fingers on his drew him out of his thoughts. He let his tail unfurl from nothing, and wrapped it around her waist to pull her against him. She giggled as she ran her fingers along its scales. That elicited a shiver from him, as it usually did, but he tried to hide it by kissing her instead. Her smile against his lips told him he was unsuccessful. "We should go," she whispered. 

He wanted to. She knew that. But they had both moved beyond those kind of selfish instincts. The thoughts were always there, but neither has felt they could listen to them. Granted, they'd never had a reason to think they could, but Pythagoras’ new finding didn't change the responsibilities they had now.

"I miss them," he said honestly. She knew that too, as both of them had reminisced about Nero, Kyrie, Nico, and the grandkids (especially the grandkids) often. Sometimes, even Dante would pop up in conversation, though neither worried about him. With three women there to keep him in check (assuming Lucia had stuck around), he might even be paying the bills. 

But Nero… 

Vergil had never been able to quite escape that feeling that he had failed him. He had promised to never come back here. Promised to never leave them behind. And he had done both things without as much as a goodbye. And that… that was his biggest regret. 

" _Saina,"_ Ashira said with a gentle brush on his palm. He blinked, and his eyes refocused on hers. "We should go," she repeated. “We’ll both regret it if we don’t.”

After a moment, he nodded. "I'll let the others know."

“We could ask your brother to help with the reaver search,” She said in genuine thought. “I doubt he’s kept the apartment that long.”

“One thing at a time,” Vergil said. 

“Family first,” She agreed as she gracefully slipped away from his tail, which disappeared the second she did. "I will be in the garden," 

"Do you want me to meet you there?" 

There was a hint of hesitation before she nodded. "It would help, yes. I..." 

For a moment, he thought she would leave that thought hanging and walk away. But then she spun around and kissed him again like a woman possessed. And he, likely possessed by whatever she was, lifted her into his arms and barely managed to kick the door closed on his way back inside.

* * *

It had been three years since Ashira had used Azalea, and about as long since she'd held it. Pythagoras, at her request, had taken it after she and Vergil had a chance to rest. Weeks later, she’d learned the demon had encased it in an unassuming, steel building on the palace grounds. And she had expected to move past it, or forget about it entirely. She had fulfilled Lir's wish, after all. But, as willing as she had been to forgive him, using Azalea never felt right. Maybe it was the idea that it held just as much death within as it did life. Maybe it was the thought that she couldn't trust anyone else but Vergil and herself with it. 

Or maybe she hadn't forgiven Lir at all. 

But when the flowers started blooming just weeks after stowing it away, Ashira knew she could never forget. Now, the garden was a massive place filled with vines of all colors, flowers from both worlds, and impossible trees from all realms of the Underworld in one place. A few reavers had built structures within, such as ponds, bridges, and benches, but it was all to hide the source inside. As much as she wanted to forget, Azalea did not belong here. But she didn’t know where else to take it, nor could she find the courage to destroy it herself. 

After sending both Shadow and Griffon away to scare off anyone that may have followed, Ashira slipped through a set of bushes and emerged in a new clearing. The structure was nearly encased by vines. But they retreated as she approached. A simple feather symbol later, and a hidden door popped open. But when the staff itself came into view, Ashira hesitated. She had often wondered what would happen if she removed it, though Pythagoras had assured her that the plants would remain. The Azalea had merely provided the soil with the incentive to grow, and it had responded in the same, unpredictable way that most things in the Underworld did. 

Sometimes, she wondered if Lir’s soul had survived the transfer in some capacity. Not enough to be aware of it. At least, she hoped not, or he’d likely be driven to madness after so long in the dark. But enough that the childlike wonder he had lost, and the dreams he had once possessed, had manifested in the life that was now all around her. Was it fair to take it away from that? Or was this simply her guilt manifesting into numerous questions that had no real answers?

Vergil’s voice echoed in her mind as his arms slid gently around her stomach. _“What troubles you, beloved?”_ His lips brushed gently along her ear, fully aware that he was asking something he already knew. But the idea of ‘clarifying questions’ was a silent agreement they had come to over the years. Their thoughts flowed so freely back and forth now it was sometimes difficult to separate conscious conversation from wandering nonsense.

“That was quick,” she murmured as she leaned back against him, eyes locked on Azalea. He said nothing, though a couple of mental images of Pythagoras barking orders to random reavers was all she needed to know about that. “I should’ve destroyed it.” She mumbled half-heartedly. 

“If you were capable of doing that,” He said. “You would have done so already.”

She sighed. “That would have been the logical thing to do.”

“Are you certain of that?”

“Can’t let anyone else have it,” she said as she gently pulled away from him, but not before squeezing his fingers as a quiet thank you. She reached for Azalea, and it came to life in her hand. The petals bloomed in all directions, as bright as it had been years ago. She kept her fire away from it this time, content to watch its own power move along it. “But I… I don’t want to use it either.” It vanished from her hand, clicking somewhere in the back of her mind as she turned to him. “What’s the point of keeping it?”

“There doesn’t have to be a point,” He said gently. “At least, not one that makes sense to everyone else.”

“Then why…”

“It doesn’t matter whose soul was used to make it,” He said as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “The idea that you needed a sacrifice in the first place is what bothers you.” Her gaze fell for a moment, but he continued. “Every life matters to you. They always have, and I’m certain they always will.”

“That doesn’t tell me what to do with it,” she muttered.

“Maybe it is better in someone else’s hands,” Vergil said. “Someone who understands what was lost to make it.” He took her hand and lifted it close to his lips, but waiting. Her cheeks flushed as she looked up, and she felt him smirk before he gently - _too_ gently, in her humble opinion - kissed the back of her hand. “It’s time we go.”

She smiled, weary but excited. "It'll be nice to be human for a little while," 

Vergil sighed, but it wasn’t in disagreement. “Nero won’t be happy.”

Ashira hummed in thought. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

* * *

A well-aimed punch to Vergil’s jaw answered that question. 

“I deserved that,” He muttered as he pushed himself upright with a shake of his head. The sheer amount of rage in Nero’s strike, however, was quickly offset by the relief in his eyes. “About time you fucking asshole!” Nero shouted. Then Vergil was ripped back to his feet and into a four-armed hug that would have given anyone else whiplash. He’d settle for a temporary headache.

“Nero,” He said. 

His son tore away before he finished that sentence, dragging Vergil along with him into the house. Ashira stayed close behind with an infuriating goofy grin on her face. But Vergil didn’t have time to even pretend to be upset about it, as the second they entered the house, a chorus of gasps brought all conversation inside to a screeching halt. And for the second time in the last ten minutes, Vergil found himself back on the floor with four of his five grandchildren piled on top of him shouting various cries of happiness. Vergil didn’t even try getting up from that one. He did, however, glare in Ashira’s direction when he heard her laughter somewhere over the chaos. “A little… help?” He said through gritted teeth. 

“But we missed you so much, Virge!” Dante said with a wide grin as he squeezed Vergil’s shoulders so tightly together that he thought they might snap. Except Vergil hadn’t even noticed his brother drop to the floor beside him, and was even more confused when he realized the children had actually piled onto them both. Finally, Vergil just sighed and kept his eyes locked on the ceiling. They couldn’t hold him forever. 

Most of them couldn’t, at least. Dante seemed to at least be considering it.

“Alright,” Kyrie said from somewhere he couldn’t see. “Aren’t you all a little old for this?”

Angelica, who had been the first one in the dogpile, sighed dramatically. Except she was four years older and significantly taller than last time. “I didn’t think he’d just… fall over like that.” Vergil fought the urge to roll his eyes as she hopped up, dragging one of the human siblings along with her. Kai was already gone (had he even joined the pile to begin with?) and was hugging Ashira in the hallway instead. 

Dante’s laugh brought him back. “You’ve been out here for all of five minutes and you’re already back to staring at her?”

Vergil glared at him. “Better than the alternative.”

His brother grinned as he hopped to his feet before dragging Vergil to his. “It’s okay, Verge. I know you missed me, and that’s all that matters.” Vergil held back a retort, as his brother wasn’t exactly _wrong._ But four years was not enough time to stop Vergil’s stubborn ego from admitting it. Besides, that knowing look on Dante’s face as he practically waltzed back to his seat and kissed Lucia with a reckless abandon that startled even her, was more than enough. 

“Vergil,” Ashira said. He was by her side before the next sentence, and their grandson’s face went from lightly tinted to a deep shade of crimson. “It’s alright,” Ashira said as she squeezed Kai’s hands. He too had grown significantly since the last time they had seen him. Despite only being twelve, he looked closer to 15. But unlike Angelica, whose hair had continued to grow and was only contained by a large and likely permanent pony-tail, Kai kept himself trimmed and even spiked it. Not quite like Vergil, but nowhere near Nero either. Aside from that, though, he looked like what Vergil expected a younger Nero to, except Kai was wearing a suit, and Vergil doubted Nero willingly did the same at that age. “Tell him what you told me?”

If it were possible, Kai’s cheeks darkened. “Iris…”

The girl practically appeared beside him. “Yes, Kai?” She said with a grin. Then, her eyes met Ashira’s and widened a bit as they jumped back and forth between them. “It is you!” Iris said, her eyes shimmering with excitement. She too had grown, and was even a few inches taller than Kai. Her hair was cropped short and had been dyed red somewhat recently. It was then that he noticed that her purple dress matched Kai’s tie, and it all started to click. 

“This is… Iris is…” 

Iris looped her arm through his with an excited smile. “Do you want me to tell ‘em?”

He shook his head. “Iris is my soulmate.” He said, though it poured out in a rush and he gasped for air shortly after. Vergil glanced back at Ashira who was beaming from ear to ear. He heard a quiet apology between them, followed by something akin to _I honestly hadn’t thought about it,_ and he let it go with a shake of his head. 

“And Mrs. Lucia has been taking good care of me,” Iris said. 

“Hey!” Dante yelled from across the room. “What about me?”

Iris rolled her eyes. “He _tries._ ” She said. Vergil heard Dante grumble as Iris lowered her voice “It’s Ms. Lucia that makes sure all the bills are paid.”

Vergil forced back a laugh. That became much easier to do when he felt Ashira’s soul tug at him. “Iris,” She said gently. The girl’s head tilted, but she said nothing. “I have something I want to give you but…” She peered back at the rest of the group before shifting further into the hallway. Vergil leaned against the entrance, blocking whatever view was left. Kai glanced between them, nervous, but stayed by Iris’ side. 

After a gentle flash of green light, the Azalea appeared. Iris’s breath caught as she stared at it. She almost reached for it, but caught herself. “Lir,” she whispered. 

“This…” Ashira paused. “He helped me, but I do not believe he was meant to be with me much longer.” She held the staff out to Iris. “I’ve contemplated for many years what I should do with it, but now I think I understand.” 

Tears welled in Iris’ eyes, but Vergil didn’t think they were necessarily unhappy. Some sadness, as was expected for the situation, but something more he couldn’t quite place. “I knew what he could do,” She said. “But I never wanted it myself. I never wanted to hurt anybody.”

“That’s why you’re the best person for it,” Ashira said. “But I know what I am asking of you.”

Iris’s hand wrapped around the middle. “I want it,” She said. “Then he’ll be protecting me, just like he always wanted to.”

Ashira smiled as she let go. The blooms burst to life. This time, however, the gold shifted to a dark pink mixed with purples and greens. The fake leaves along the top flower turned to metallic, purple feathers, and more wrapped around the shaft. Vergil swore he saw a flicker of purple fire, but he couldn’t be certain. Less than a minute later, the energy receded into Iiris herself, and the staff vanished. “Thank you,” She said. 

“You can hug them, you know,” Kai said with a shy smile. “They won’t mind.”

“Only if you do too.”

It was Ashira who pulled them both in, leaning on Vergil so he was at least partially involved. But, as most things in his family went, the awkward four-way hug soon turned into a 12-way mob all crammed in the hallway. “I feel there are much better ways to do this,” Vergil said. 

Ashira’s laugh echoed in his head as an argument started between the others on what he could have _possibly_ meant by that. _“Did you expect anything else?”_

No, he hadn’t, nor did he want anything else. The unexpected chaos of his family was a comfort. They had survived without him but still welcomed both him and Ashira home with open arms. And, even as the silly argument turned into an all-out brawl in the front yard, Vergil was content knowing that that, at the very least, would never change.


End file.
